Louth

The steep cobbled streets climbing toward St Michael and All Angels Church tell you everything about this Lincolnshire market town's character. Louth sits snug in a valley of the Lincolnshire Wolds, where Georgian terraces line Westgate and independent shops still dominate the Wednesday and Saturday markets that have run here for eight centuries.

Climbing out of town, the Wolds reveal themselves properly. Beacon Hill and Flint Hill offer cracking views across this gentle, rolling countryside that feels more like the Cotswolds than flat Lincolnshire. The area's dotted with small plantations - Square Plantation and Gravelpit Plantation among them - creating pockets of woodland that break up the agricultural landscape beautifully.

St. Swithin's Church in nearby Sotby is worth the short drive, particularly if you're into Norman architecture. The town itself has that proper market town feel midweek when it's quieter, though Saturday market day brings real energy to the centre.

From Lincoln it's about 25 miles northeast, following the A158 through Wragby. The train to Louth closed decades ago, so you'll need a car to make the most of exploring the Wolds properly.

Staying at one of the local holiday parks makes perfect sense here. The Lincolnshire Wolds National Landscape designation means development is carefully controlled, so glamping spots like Bain View Glamping and Into the Wild Glamping offer a way to wake up in this lovely countryside. You're well placed for walking the Wolds, visiting the coast at Mablethorpe (it's only 12 miles east), and using Louth as your base for exploring what's genuinely one of England's most underrated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.