The Belfry

The Belfry sprawls across 600 acres near Atherstone - a serious golf destination, not a casual pitch-and-putt. Three championship courses wind through mature woodland, and the design is properly ambitious. The Brabazon and the Derby are the headliners, both demanding enough to have hosted European Tour events. Even mid-handicappers will find themselves reaching for the seven-iron more often than they'd like.

This isn't a place to rock up on a whim. You need a handicap certificate and advance booking, which keeps the experience focused rather than chaotic. The practice facilities are excellent - driving range, short game area, the full works - and the clubhouse sits at the heart of things without being fussy about it.

Walkers and non-golfers might find themselves marooned, truth be told. The grounds are extensive but private, and there's limited appeal if you're not swinging a club. However, if your holiday party includes a couple of keen golfers and some less keen family members, Nightingales Rustic Camping sits just five miles away - proper countryside stuff with actual space to breathe.

Golf aside, Atherstone itself is a working market town rather than a tourist trap, which means decent local pubs and reasonable food without the price markup. The Belfry works best as part of a longer midlands trip, where you've got woodland walks at Cannock Chase and historic sights nearby to keep non-golfers happy on their days off.