Leominster

Red sandstone buildings line the streets of this ancient market town, where wool once made merchants wealthy and the River Lugg still meanders lazily through water meadows. Leominster feels properly old-fashioned - no chain restaurants clogging the high street here, just independent shops and proper pubs that locals actually drink in.

The town's centrepiece, St Mary the Virgin, tells the story of medieval prosperity through its ornate Norman doorway and soaring tower. Worth wandering the churchyard too - some cracking views across the Herefordshire countryside. Just outside town, the WWII Spitfire pilot memorial marks a poignant piece of wartime history, while Eardisland Dovecote offers a glimpse into how the wealthy stored their winter protein centuries ago.

Countryside doesn't get much better than this. The Marshes provide lovely woodland walking just minutes from the town centre, perfect for clearing your head after too much cider. Bankie peak rewards the effort with panoramic views across the Marches - that disputed borderland between England and Wales that's seen more than its fair share of trouble over the centuries.

Getting here's straightforward enough. Leominster sits on the Welsh Marches railway line, with regular services to Birmingham and Cardiff. By car, it's a quick hop off the A49, about 12 miles north of Hereford.

Staying at one of the nearby parks makes perfect sense. Pearl Lake Country Holiday Park and Arrow Bank Country Holiday Park both put you within easy reach of the town's pubs and shops, while spots like Monstay Farm Campsite offer that proper rural feel. You're ideally placed for exploring the wider Herefordshire countryside - Ludlow's food scene is half an hour north, while the Black Mountains beckon from the west.