Sawmill Copse

A proper slice of ancient woodland that actually feels wild - Sawmill Copse isn't some manicured nature reserve with interpretive signs at every turn. It's Devon forest as it should be: dense, quiet, with the kind of canopy that makes you lose track of time after twenty minutes.

The walk through here is straightforward enough, threading between oak and beech with the occasional surprise of clearings that open up suddenly. You're looking at roughly an hour if you wander at a normal pace, longer if you're the type to stop and listen. The forest floor gets boggy in patches - proper waterlogged in winter and after rain - so wellies aren't a bad shout depending on season.

Walkers will get the most from this. It's the sort of place where you notice things: bird calls, the quality of light filtering through, the way the trees twist together. Parents with young kids might find it a bit samey after forty minutes - there's no playground, no visitor centre, just trees and paths. History buffs should know the name comes from an old sawmill operation, though there's little visible evidence now.

Free to access, no facilities that I'm aware of. Worth combining with South Bay Holiday Park if you're based that way - it's only five miles away - as a proper woodland counterpoint to seaside time. Go early in the day when the woods are quietest. Mid-morning walkers will have the place largely to themselves.