Wrafton Pond

Duck droppings and dog walkers - that's the reality of this small roadside pond just outside Ilfracombe. Wrafton Pond sits beside the main road through the village, more functional than scenic, though it does attract a decent variety of waterfowl if you're keen on spotting coots and mallards.

Families staying at nearby parks like Woolacombe Sands Holiday Park might find it worth a quick stop for toddlers who get excited about any stretch of water. The pond's shallow and completely safe, with a grassy verge where kids can throw bread (though the signs ask you not to). Takes all of ten minutes unless your little ones are proper water obsessed.

Walkers using the coastal path often pause here, mainly because there's convenient parking and it breaks the journey between Ilfracombe and the beaches further west. The surrounding village has that ordinary Devon charm - stone cottages and narrow lanes - but nothing that'll delay you long.

Honestly, it's more of a pit stop than a destination. If you're heading to the dramatic coastline around Woolacombe or exploring Ilfracombe's harbour, Wrafton Pond serves as a brief interlude rather than the main event. Worth knowing about if you're staying locally, but hardly worth a special trip from Golden Coast Holiday Park or the other sites dotted around this stretch of North Devon.