Westgate Hill

The walk up Westgate Hill takes about twenty minutes from West Hill village, and honestly, it's worth every step. You're climbing maybe 600 feet of Devon moorland - nothing brutal, just steady - and the views open out properly once you're halfway up. On a clear day you can see right across to Exmoor. The summit itself is modest; there's no visitor centre or café, just open moorland and the satisfaction of having earned a proper perspective on the landscape.

This is a walkers' hill, full stop. Families with young kids might find the ascent a bit much, but teenagers upwards will crack on fine. It's the kind of place where you can spend an hour or less and feel you've done something, rather than spent a day queuing. Bring decent boots - it gets boggy after rain - and go early to dodge the weekend crowds that pile out from Cuckoo Down Farm Glamping and Oakdown, both within five miles.

What makes it work is how it slots into a proper moorland holiday. You're not fighting through tourist infrastructure. The walk alone tells you more about Devon topography than any exhibition could. Free to access, no opening hours faffing about, just you and the hill.

Time it for late afternoon if you want the light, or early morning if the summit visibility is good. Winter can be windier than expected, but that's when it feels most like an actual achievement.