Torcross

A shingle ridge about a mile long running across Start Bay - that's Torcross, and it's one of those strange British coastal features that stops you in your tracks. The village itself is tiny, basically a handful of houses tucked behind a wall of pebbles, but what makes it worth the drive from Kingsbridge is the view across the bay and the sense that you're standing on something genuinely precarious. The shingle shifts with storms. Houses have been claimed by the sea over the centuries. There's a tank abandoned here from a World War Two practice exercise - you can still see it rusting away - which adds a slightly eerie edge to what could otherwise be just another pebble beach.

Walkers get the most from Torcross. The South West Coast Path runs right through, offering proper dramatic coastal scenery without the crowds of places further east. Give yourself a couple of hours minimum to walk the ridge properly and poke about the village. Families with young kids might find it a bit bleak and windy - there's no beach amenities or facilities worth mentioning, just shingle and space.

It's free to visit, and genuinely quiet even in summer. Timing-wise, go when the light's low - either early morning or late afternoon - because the ridge looks haunting then, less like a tourist spot and more like something that might disappear with the next big tide. The Start Bay Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite is barely a mile away if you want to base yourself here, or Wilton Farm Camping is a short drive inland if you prefer a softer landing. Either way, Torcross works best as a short stop on a coastal walk rather than a destination in itself, but it's absolutely worth that stop.