Butter Hill Barn

The barn sits on the slope above Lynton like something from a Constable painting, all weathered stone and sloping roof against the steep Devon hillside. Butter Hill Barn is exactly what it sounds - a proper old working barn that's become a local landmark, the kind of place walkers pass and think "that's lovely" without necessarily stopping.

What draws people here is the walk itself more than anything else. The approach from Lynton takes you through rolling countryside, and the barn marks a natural turning point on a circuit that most folk do in a couple of hours. The views back down the valley are worth the climb - on a clear day you can see right across to the coast. It's not a destination attraction where you'd spend hours; it's a waypoint, a reason to get out and stretch your legs.

This works brilliantly if you're staying at Lynmouth Holiday Retreat down the road. The park's well-positioned for rambling, and Butter Hill Barn fits into a proper morning's walk without being either too taxing or pointless. Families with older kids will manage it fine. Younger children might find it a bit of a slog for what is essentially a barn with a view, though the drama of the landscape makes up for it.

There's nothing inside to visit - it's a landmark you pass, not a destination you enter. But that's rather the point. Come for the walk, not the barn itself.