Culbone Wood

The path into Culbone Wood drops steeply from the clifftop near Lynton, winding through dense beech and oak until you reach one of Devon's most unexpected sights - a tiny 12th-century church barely larger than a cottage. St Beuno's sits there, almost swallowed by the forest, with just 30 seats inside and walls thick enough to stop the wind dead.

Walkers get the most from this place. It's not a casual stroll - the descent is proper steep and the way back up leaves you breathing hard - but that's exactly why it feels special. You're not fighting crowds. The woodland itself is lovely, especially in spring when the bluebells come through, though summer can feel claustrophobic with the leaf canopy so thick.

Allow a good hour and a half round trip if you're taking it steady and actually want to sit in the church a moment. Free to visit. The nearest decent base is Lynmouth Holiday Retreat, about seven miles away, which makes sense if you're combining this with a broader walk along the North Devon coast. Culbone fits well into a bigger hiking loop rather than as a standalone destination.

Honestly? It's worth the leg work. The isolation of finding an actual working church deep in forest, with gravestones dating back centuries, feels properly removed from modern life. Kids might lose interest after the initial novelty wears off, but serious walkers and anyone interested in small medieval churches should make the effort.