Nantwich

Black and white timber buildings lean into narrow medieval streets like old friends sharing secrets. Nantwich earned its stripes from salt - the white gold that built those crooked Tudor facades you'll spot along Welsh Row and High Street. The town's got proper character, with none of the chain store blandness that's swallowed so many market towns.

Saint Andrew's Church dominates the skyline, its red sandstone spire visible for miles across the Cheshire Plain. But it's Snugburys that draws the crowds these days - this working ice cream farm lets you watch Jersey cows being milked before sampling some of the county's finest gelato. The Giant Paddington Bear stationed there has become something of a local celebrity, though the nearby Giant Chair gives it a run for its money in the quirky stakes.

Walking the town centre takes barely an hour. Welsh Row's the prettiest stretch - timber-framed buildings that survived the Great Fire of 1583 now house independent shops and cafes. Head out towards Hurleston and you'll find Hurleston Reservoir, where canal boats chug past and herons stand statue-still in the shallows.

Getting here's straightforward enough. The M6 runs close by, and Crewe's just down the road with its major rail links. Staying at one of the holiday parks dotted around the area makes perfect sense - you're close enough to walk into town for dinner, but far enough out to wake up to proper countryside views. The surrounding Cheshire farmland rolls away in all directions, crossed by footpaths that lead through Cape's Copse and other pockets of ancient woodland.