Marlborough

Georgian elegance meets market town grit in this handsome Wiltshire settlement where the high street still hums with proper independent shops. Marlborough's wide thoroughfare, claimed to be one of England's finest, stretches between coaching inns that once welcomed weary travellers bound for Bath or London.

The town sits bang in the middle of downland country, where ancient mysteries dot the landscape like full stops in a vast green sentence. Within striking distance you'll find The Devil's Den, a Neolithic burial chamber that's frankly more atmospheric than Stonehenge on most days. Less crowded too.

Pewsey station puts you within easy reach if you're coming by train, though having wheels gives you proper freedom to explore the surrounding chalk hills. Huish Down and Giant's Grave offer cracking walks with views that stretch for miles across this rolling countryside.

History buffs will appreciate Swanborough Tump and the various Long Barrow sites scattered about - these Bronze Age burial mounds have been watching over the downs for millennia. The galleries at King Alfred provide a more contemporary cultural fix when you need a break from all that ancient stonework.

Staying at one of the nearby parks like Mill Farm Glamping or Honey Bee Glamping puts you right in the heart of this landscape while keeping Marlborough's shops and pubs within easy reach. It's the sort of base that works whether you fancy a gentle potter around town or a proper yomp across the downs.