Luscombe Wood

The woodland floor at Luscombe is soft underfoot, a proper carpet of moss and fallen leaves that makes walking almost silent. Near South Brent, this forest is the kind of place you stumble upon rather than deliberately hunt for - ancient oak and beech tower overhead, creating a canopy so thick it feels perpetually twilight in summer.

It's a straightforward walk if you're after some quiet time among the trees. There are no facilities to speak of, no visitor centre or car park announcement - you simply pull up nearby and head in. The paths wind through the woodland reasonably well, though after heavy rain expect mud. Most people spend an hour here, maybe ninety minutes if they're moving slowly or have children exploring the undergrowth.

For families based at Ashbourne Woods just up the road, Luscombe makes a cracking morning diversion before lunch. The woodland isn't massive, so it won't exhaust young legs, and the gentle inclines suit most ages. History enthusiasts will appreciate the old woodland management visible in the tree spacing and coppice patterns, though there's little signage to explain any of it.

Walkers heading into Dartmoor proper can treat this as an appetiser - it's close enough to be a warm-up without being a chore. Go early to avoid the school run crowds, and bring a packed lunch if you've time to sit. It's free, always open, and demands nothing from you except a willingness to wander. That's rather the point.