Nottingham

Football fans know The City Ground well enough, but this corner of Nottingham offers more than just Forest's home turf. The riverside stretch around Wilford feels properly suburban - tree-lined streets giving way to the Trent's grassy banks where the rowing clubs have been plying their trade for decades.

Memorials dot the area like historical breadcrumbs. The Rowing Clubs' Great War Memorial stands testament to a sporting community that lost members in both world wars, while various commemorative plaques honour local figures like Sir Robert Juckes Clifton. It's not grand history, but it's proper local stuff.

Wilford Meadow offers a decent wildlife spot for a morning walk, though don't expect anything too wild - it's more managed greenspace than untamed nature. The real draw here is the riverside itself, where Sport Nottingham's facilities attract serious athletes and weekend warriors alike. Boatyard Boulders provides climbing walls for those who prefer vertical challenges to the Trent's horizontal pull.

Getting here from central Nottingham takes all of fifteen minutes by car, making it an easy escape from the city centre crowds. The train station connects you to Derby, Leicester and beyond, though you'll want wheels to explore the Nottinghamshire countryside properly.

Staying at one of the nearby parks - whether it's glamping at Wolds Wine Estate or simpler camping at Gunthorpe - puts you within striking distance of both Nottingham's urban attractions and the rolling countryside that surrounds it. You're close enough for a proper night out in the Lace Market, yet far enough away to hear the River Trent rather than traffic when you wake up.