Broomhill Sculpture Gardens North Devon

It's a magical effect: 300 often quirky sculptures hidden away in a 4-hectare wooded valley. There's a fairy-tale or comic feel to much of it – slivers of burnished steel, painted columns and a series of mystical figures pop out from behind trees; the way they're laid out often invites you to join the composition. Broomhill is 3 miles north of Barnstaple at Muddiford, on the B3230. Broomhill also has a slow-food restaurant, and an art hotel.