Lewes

Timber-framed houses line steep cobbled streets where England's barons once defied a king. Lewes sits high on the chalk downs of East Sussex, its medieval bones still showing through centuries of careful preservation. The town feels properly historic - not the sanitised theme park version you get elsewhere, but a living place where locals still shop on the high street and drink in pubs that were serving ale when Anne of Cleves lived here.

Lewes Castle dominates the skyline, its Norman keep offering cracking views across the South Downs. The climb up is worth it just to see how the medieval town spreads below like a map come to life. Down in the streets, Anne of Cleves House Museum tells the story of Henry VIII's fourth wife with more nuance than most Tudor tales manage.

Bonfire Night here is legendary - and slightly mad. Every November, Lewes goes completely barmy with torchlit processions and burning effigies that would make Guy Fawkes himself nervous. The rest of the year, it's refreshingly quiet, with independent shops and cafes that haven't been chain-stored into submission.

The surrounding countryside rolls away in every direction - proper downland walking country. Malling Hill provides an easy climb with panoramic views, while the ruins of Lewes Priory hint at the town's religious importance before Henry VIII got trigger-happy with monasteries. The train from London Victoria takes just over an hour, making it an easy escape from the capital.

Staying at one of the nearby parks like Wild Boar Wood or Blackberry Wood puts you right in the heart of the South Downs National Park, with Lewes as your base for exploring both the town's medieval streets and the rolling chalk hills that surround it.