Bow Wood

A proper woodland walk tucked inland from Kingsbridge, Bow Wood is the sort of place you stumble upon rather than plan for. The forest floor here is thick with moss and ferns, and on a damp Devon day the whole thing feels prehistoric. Oaks and beeches create a canopy that filters the light into greenish dapples, and you'll hear more birdsong than traffic.

It's best for anyone who likes a gentle woodland ramble without pretension - no visitor centre, no café, no fuss. Families with young legs will get a solid hour's exploration out of it, though there's not much to actually do except walk and breathe air that smells of mulch and rain. Walkers appreciate it as a proper forest break between coastal sorties, and it's close enough to Kingsbridge that you can combine it with lunch in town.

The wood works well if you're staying at Start Bay Caravan and Motorhome Club just down the road - it's the kind of green buffer that makes a holiday park feel less stranded. Parking is straightforward, and entry appears free, though it pays to check locally as these smaller woodlands sometimes have seasonal restrictions. Go in autumn or early spring when the undergrowth isn't chest-high with nettles. Summer is thick and airless, and you'll battle midges.

Not spectacular, but solid. The sort of place locals actually use.