Braintree

The shops along the high street tell the real story here - half of them shuttered by lunchtime on a Tuesday, the other half selling exactly what you'd expect from an Essex market town that's seen better days. Braintree sits in that sweet spot between countryside proper and commuter belt sprawl, where Victorian terraces bump up against modern housing estates and nobody quite knows what the town wants to be when it grows up.

Yet there's something oddly appealing about its unpretentious nature. The surrounding countryside does the heavy lifting - rolling Essex farmland dotted with ancient woodlands like Park Wood and The Moors, where you can walk for miles without seeing another soul. Great Bardfield Cottage Museum offers a glimpse into rural life that feels refreshingly honest, while the Flying Fortress Dry Gulcher provides an unexpected slice of wartime history.

Ventrue beyond the town centre and you'll find Braintree's saving grace: its position as a gateway to some of Essex's most attractive villages. Finchingfield, with its famous village green and duck pond, sits just a short drive north. The parish churches scattered across the landscape - Saint Peter and Saint Thomas a Beckett in Stambourne, St John the Baptist - speak to centuries of quiet rural continuity.

Getting here couldn't be simpler. The A120 cuts right through, connecting Braintree to the M11 and London beyond. It's an hour from the capital on a good day, making it popular with families seeking more space for their money.

Staying at one of the nearby parks like Gosfield Lake Resort or the various glamping options at Dairymeade Farm makes perfect sense. You get the best of both worlds - easy access to Braintree's amenities when you need them, but surrounded by proper countryside when you want to escape the suburban tedium.