Chippenham

The River Avon cuts a lazy ribbon through this market town, where Georgian terraces line streets that have seen centuries of wool trading and railway prosperity. Chippenham sits at the heart of north Wiltshire, a proper working town that hasn't forgotten its roots despite the commuter trains to London.

Fans of a certain boy wizard will find themselves drawn here - not for the town itself, but for nearby Lacock, where Harry Potter's Parents House sits among medieval streets that doubled as Godric's Hollow. The same village houses Horace Slughorn's House and other film locations, making it a pilgrimage site for Potter devotees. The Great Hall and Cloister add to the cinematic appeal.

Woodland walks dominate the surrounding countryside. Griffin's Wood offers decent rambling, while Upper Selves Wood and the half-dozen other copses scattered about provide proper escape from town noise. These aren't dramatic hiking spots, mind - just pleasant English woodland that's lovely for an afternoon stroll.

Getting here couldn't be easier. The M4 runs just south, while Chippenham station connects directly to London Paddington in under two hours. Bath lies twenty minutes down the A4, making day trips to the Georgian city a doddle.

Staying at one of the local caravan parks makes real sense if you're exploring this slice of Wiltshire. Piccadilly Caravan Park and the other sites dotted around town put you within easy reach of both the Potter locations and the wider countryside, while keeping costs sensible compared to Bath's pricey hotels.