Cambridge

The flat Cambridgeshire countryside stretches endlessly here, broken only by the odd copse and the gentle rise of Giant's Hill - an ancient castle site that gives proper views across the fens. This slice of rural England sits just north of Cambridge proper, where villages like Rampton still hold traces of their medieval past through ridge and furrow fieldmarks that tell stories of centuries-old farming.

Rampton itself feels quietly forgotten by time. The Free Church anchors the village centre, while Homefield Park offers a decent spot for kids to run about. More intriguing are the contemporary art installations scattered through the area - Truffles the Pig and the wonderfully named Grandfather, Grandson and Dog add unexpected splashes of creativity to pastoral surroundings.

Cambridge city centre lies a short drive south, making this area brilliant for escaping the tourist crowds while keeping easy access to the colleges and punting on the Cam. The landscape here is proper fenland - dead flat, criss-crossed by drainage ditches, and surprisingly beautiful under big East Anglian skies.

Getting here couldn't be simpler from the A14, with the M11 junction just minutes away. Cambridge station connects to London in under an hour.

Staying at one of the nearby parks makes perfect sense if you want countryside calm with city access. Hempsall Farm offers vegan glamping for the ethically minded, while spots like Long Island Lake provide traditional touring pitches. You're close enough to cycle into Cambridge on quiet country lanes, yet far enough out to hear actual silence at night.