Warrens

There's something quietly powerful about standing in a field near Tavistock and realising you're looking at one of Devon's most significant Iron Age hillforts. Warrens isn't a manicured visitor attraction with a café and gift shop - it's the real thing, a proper archaeological site where you can actually trace the defensive earthworks that protected people nearly 3,000 years ago.

The site consists of a series of banks and ditches that once formed the outer defences of a substantial settlement. Walk the perimeter and you'll spot the terraced platforms where roundhouses once stood. It's the kind of place that rewards a slow wander rather than a quick photograph. You're essentially free to explore at your own pace, which means you can linger or move on as you like.

This works brilliantly for history enthusiasts and walkers who prefer substance over spectacle. Families with older kids who aren't expecting theme park thrills will find it engaging - the landscape itself tells the story. You'll want to allow an hour or so to do it justice, especially if you're the type to stop and imagine what life was like here.

Being free and unmanaged, it's the sort of stop that pairs well with nearby Langstone Manor Holiday Park. You could easily combine this with a walk around Tavistock's market town afterwards, or use it as a circuit walk from your accommodation. Go midweek if you can - weekends can see the occasional muddy crowd.