The Gaffer

You'll find a granite tower standing alone on the clifftops near Bude, built back in 1830 and known locally as The Gaffer. It's a proper Victorian oddity - a cylindrical structure that once served as a coastguard lookout, keeping watch over the treacherous waters below. The walk to reach it takes you along dramatic clifftop paths with views that stretch for miles, and on a clear day you can see right across the coastline towards Devon.

This is one for walkers rather than casual visitors. The surrounding coastal path is excellent, and The Gaffer works best as part of a longer ramble rather than a destination in itself - you'll spend ten minutes looking at the tower, maybe taking photos, then pushing on along the cliffs. It's free to visit and there's no set opening hours; you access it via public footpaths. The tower itself is closed to entry, but the exterior and the location are what matter.

Historically-minded visitors will appreciate the Victorian engineering, though families with young children might find the cliff-edge setting a touch nerve-wracking. Allow an hour if you're combining it with a decent clifftop walk. If you're staying at Pencuke Farm Holiday Cottages just four miles away or at Bude Camping and Caravanning Club Site, this makes a natural half-day outing. Best visited when the weather's settled - exposed clifftops can get blustery and the paths muddy after rain.