Whiteworks

Whiteworks is a proper ghost village tucked into Dartmoor's high moorland, a few miles west of Tavistock. What you're looking at are the ruins of a 19th-century tin-mining settlement - weathered stone walls, abandoned cottages, and the skeletal remains of mine workings scattered across the rough grass. It's genuinely eerie in the best way. There's not much left to walk through, mind you. Most visitors spend 30 to 45 minutes poking about the ruins before heading back to the car. The appeal is less about structured trails and more about the atmosphere. You're stood on high moorland with hardly another soul about, reading the landscape like an archaeology textbook.

This works best for history types and walkers who don't mind a bit of scrambling over uneven ground. Kids might find it interesting for ten minutes, then get restless. It's free, obviously - there's nothing here to charge for.

Timing-wise, go on a clear day if you can. Moorland weather turns fast, and mist renders the whole experience pointless. If you're basing yourself at Dartmoor National Park, Whiteworks makes a solid afternoon detour - it's only 3.8 miles away, so easily done alongside other moorland walking. Alternatively, it's a reasonable half-day out from Langstone Manor, which sits 5.8 miles south. Tavistock itself is the nearest town for supplies before heading up onto the moor.