Swadlincote

Former coal country meets countryside on the edge of the National Forest, where old pit wheels have given way to walking trails and wetland reserves. Swadlincote sits in that fascinating border territory between Leicestershire and Derbyshire, a working town that's quietly reinvented itself since the mines closed. The surrounding landscape tells stories of industrial heritage alongside nature's comeback - former colliery sites now bloom with wildflowers and woodland.

Moira Furnace Museum anchors the area's heritage trail, a proper blast furnace that once powered the local iron industry. It's well worth the short drive from town. The restored Discovery Station and Waterside Station mark the endpoints of a heritage railway that cuts through some lovely countryside, while places like Fox Covert offer peaceful woodland walks where slag heaps once stood.

Water features prominently here too. Fish Pond provides decent fishing, though Overseal Reservoir is the real draw for anglers and walkers alike. The memorial sites - from the War Memorial in town to Rememberance Copse and the striking Cadley Memorial Winding Wheel viewpoint - remind you this was once the heart of England's coal industry.

You're perfectly positioned for exploring the wider National Forest from here. Burton upon Trent lies just to the east, while the Peak District beckons to the north. A base at one of the nearby parks puts you within easy reach of Conkers discovery centre and the growing network of forest trails that now carpet this former industrial heartland.