Down Tor

The walk up Down Tor rewards you with one of Dartmoor's most satisfying views without being genuinely gruelling. It's a proper granite peak that feels like a proper achievement once you're standing on top, yet the climb from the carpark near Plymouth takes barely forty minutes if you're moving at a decent pace.

What you get at the summit is a 360-degree panorama across the moor - moorland rolling away in every direction, with Plymouth itself visible on a clear day. The tor itself is dramatic enough to make for decent photos, and there's something about those exposed granite outcrops that makes you feel like you've actually gone somewhere, rather than just ambled about.

This works brilliantly for families who want their kids to feel like proper hikers without anyone getting a meltdown halfway through. The path is clear enough that you won't lose anyone, and older children find it genuinely interesting rather than soul-destroying. History types might appreciate that you're walking across land that's been grazed and farmed for millennia, though there's no interpretation boards to tell you much.

If you're based at Langstone Manor or Dartmoor Domes - both within an easy drive - Down Tor makes a good half-day outing. Early morning is best if you can manage it, as the light's lovely and you'll dodge the afternoon crowds. Go in decent boots; the ground gets boggy in places and those granite slopes are slick when wet.