Ellesmere

Nine distinct meres dot this corner of north Shropshire, giving this medieval market town its name and much of its appeal. Ellesmere sits prettily beside The Mere, the largest of these natural lakes, where swans drift between the reeds and anglers cast hopeful lines from the wooded banks.

The town centre feels properly lived-in rather than touristy. Local shops line the main street, and the weekly market still draws farmers from the surrounding countryside. Saint Mary the Virgin overlooks it all from its hilltop perch, worth the climb for views across the watery landscape that stretches into Wales.

Woodland walks are everywhere you turn. Prince's Plantation offers the easiest stroll, while Old Hall Wood and Tre-a-peni Wood provide more serious hiking through ancient oak and birch. The network of footpaths connecting these forests means you can disappear for hours without retracing your steps.

This is genuine border country - Oswestry lies 8 miles south, while Wales begins just beyond the western meres. The train from Birmingham gets you to nearby Gobowen in under two hours, then it's a short bus ride or taxi to town.

Basing yourself at one of the holiday parks around Ellesmere makes perfect sense. You're close enough to walk into town for supplies or a proper pub lunch, yet surrounded by that lovely Shropshire countryside. The meres are fantastic for early morning walks before the day-trippers arrive, and those woodland trails practically start from your caravan door. It's the sort of place where you can properly switch off without being miles from civilisation.