Fir Wood

The woodland around Fir Wood, just outside Kingsbridge, is proper Devon - dense conifers mixed with broadleaves, the kind of place where you'll actually lose phone signal. It's less of a visitor attraction with a car park and facilities, more a genuine forest you can walk through without bumping into crowds of school groups.

You get good shade here, which matters on the rare hot days, and the floor is soft underfoot from decades of dropped needles. The trees are tall enough that it feels like you're actually somewhere, not just in someone's back garden. Walkers will find it worthwhile for an hour or two - it connects to a decent network of paths if you're keen on a longer stretch. Families with kids aged six and up will keep them occupied; anything younger and they'll be bored within twenty minutes unless they're mad for mud.

There's no obvious visitor infrastructure that I could find - no café, no information boards, nothing fancy. Free access as far as I can tell, which is refreshing. Best visited in autumn when the larch turns gold, though it's perfectly fine any season except after heavy rain when paths get boggy.

If you're camping at Karrageen or Wilton Farm - both close by - this is a solid morning walk before heading down to the coast. Don't expect anything Instagrammable. Just actual woodland where you can think straight.