High Peak Camp

Walking out to High Peak Camp feels less like visiting a tourist attraction and more like stumbling onto something properly ancient. This Iron Age hill fort sits on the cliffs near Budleigh Salterton, commanding views across the Devon coast that explain exactly why someone chose to build a settlement here two thousand years ago.

What you actually get is earthworks - the remains of defensive ditches and ramparts that once protected an Iron Age community. It's not dramatic like some hill forts; there are no standing stones or reconstructed buildings. What there is, though, is the landscape itself. The walk to reach it takes you through proper coastal terrain, and the fort's position on the headland gives you sight lines for miles. On a clear day you can see why this mattered as a stronghold.

This is genuinely worth visiting if you like archaeology and walking in one go. Families with young kids might find it underwhelming - there's nothing to climb on or interactive touch points. But if your lot enjoys a decent clifftop walk and can appreciate the bones of a settlement without needing plaques and reconstructions, it's cracking.

The nearest base is Budleigh Salterton, which is close enough for a morning trip. Ladram Bay Holiday Park sits less than a mile away if you're staying in the area. Allow an hour or two including the walk. No facilities on site that I'm aware of, so bring water. Best visited outside school holidays when the coastal path isn't rammed with day-trippers.