Cockington Country Park

The grounds at Cockington sprawl across 450 acres of genuine Devon countryside, and you get the full experience without paying a penny. There's a working forge where blacksmiths are still hammering away, a proper village green with a thatched pub, and enough woodland trails to keep you occupied for an afternoon or just wandering for twenty minutes if you're passing through.

Walkers will find this genuinely rewarding. The paths wind through parkland and into deeper woods, with the sort of gentle undulation that doesn't punish your knees but keeps things interesting. History types will latch onto the medieval church and the old mill - nothing flashy, but solid stuff that tells you something real about how people lived here. If you've got children, the open spaces work well, though they might lose interest if you're expecting formal attractions or play areas. This is more about exploration than entertainment.

The village itself - Cockington Village - has genuine character without feeling manufactured. The thatched cottages and the blacksmith's forge give you a proper sense of what rural Devon looked like before motor cars. It's all free to wander, which makes it an obvious call if you're staying at Parkdean Resorts Torquay or Brownscombe Glamping nearby. Allow a good two to three hours if you want to actually walk it rather than just pop past the forge.

Best visited mid-week when it's quieter. The car park does fill up at weekends, and Torquay's busy enough without queuing to park on your day out.