High Heathercombe

High Heathercombe sits on Dartmoor's eastern fringe, a proper windswept moorland spot that rewards the effort to get there. It's not a manicured attraction or visitor centre - just open moorland with views that stretch for miles across the granite plateaus. You'll understand why walkers keep coming back once you're standing up there, especially on a clear day when you can pick out the valleys rolling towards Exeter.

The real appeal here is the walk itself. Getting to High Heathercombe means leaving your car and actually using your legs, which immediately filters out the casual drive-by crowd. It's moorland walking at its most straightforward - open terrain, good paths in places, but exposed enough that you'll feel properly outdoors. Family groups with kids who can manage a decent hike will find it genuinely rewarding. Older walkers or anyone keen on photography will spend a solid hour or more up here without feeling rushed.

There's nothing to eat or pay for - it's free, naturally, being open moorland. The trick is timing: spring and early summer give you the best weather and widest views, though autumn has its own appeal when the light turns golden. Winter can be bleak, quite literally - the wind picks up and visibility drops fast.

If you're staying nearby at Dartmoor National Park - which is only 5.6 miles away - High Heathercombe makes a proper alternative to the busier spots. You'll have the moorland largely to yourself, which in Devon terms counts as a genuine triumph.