Cirencester

Roman streets still form the backbone of this ancient market town, though these days you're more likely to hear the clip-clop of horses heading to the polo fields than legions marching to Gaul. The capital of the Cotswolds - a title it wears with proper confidence - sits where five roads meet, just as they did when this was Corinium Dobunnorum, second only to London in Roman Britain.

Modern Cirencester feels wonderfully lived-in rather than preserved in aspic like some Cotswold villages. Monday's market still fills the square, and the high street has that rare thing - actual shops locals use. The parish church of St John Baptist dominates the skyline, its perpendicular tower visible for miles across the Cotswold stone landscape that rolls away in every direction.

Water features heavily in the surrounding countryside, with a string of lakes including Waterhay Lake and Windrush Lake offering peaceful walking and fishing spots. The area's numerous copses - Lamb Copse, Westhams Copse, and Vines Brake among them - provide lovely woodland rambles between the open fields.

Getting here couldn't be simpler. The A419 runs straight through town, connecting to the M4 in twenty minutes, while regular buses link to Swindon for rail connections. Staying at one of the nearby parks like Hoburne Cotswold Holiday Park or Cirencester Park Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite puts you within easy striking distance of both the town's Roman heritage and the wider Cotswolds. Bath's an hour south, Oxford forty minutes east, and you can reach Cheltenham's race course in half that time.