Stafford

County town swagger meets unexpected wilderness on Stafford's doorstep. You're looking at a proper Midlands market town that knows its place - administrative heart of Staffordshire, yes, but refreshingly unpretentious about it.

The real draw here isn't the high street (though it does a decent job with the usual suspects). It's the extraordinary proximity to Cannock Chase, that sprawling Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty that transforms suburban Staffordshire into something altogether wilder. Ten minutes from the town centre and you're hiking past Freda's Grave, that curious Victorian monument tucked into Chase woodland, or scrambling up Oat Hill for views across three counties.

History buffs will find themselves drawn to the Katyn Memorial, a moving tribute in the Chase that few visitors expect to stumble upon. The geological oddity of the Glacial Boulder offers a different kind of time travel - a massive erratic dumped here by retreating ice sheets millennia ago.

Golf enthusiasts are spoilt for choice. Both Brocton Hall Golf Club and The Chase Golf Club take full advantage of the rolling Chase landscape, though the latter arguably has the edge for dramatic scenery. Medieval church fans can tick off Saxon gems like St. Leonard's in nearby Dunston or venture to St. James Church in Acton Trussell.

Stafford sits bang on the M6 corridor, making it ridiculously accessible from Birmingham (30 minutes south) or Manchester (hour and a bit north). The railway station connects directly to London Euston in just over an hour.

Staying at one of the holiday parks dotted around Cannock Chase puts you perfectly positioned for both town amenities and Chase adventures. You get the best of both worlds - proper countryside on your doorstep, but never more than 20 minutes from a decent curry or late-night shop.