Ware

The Lee Valley stretches endlessly here, offering cyclists and walkers miles of towpath paradise along the River Lea Navigation. Ware sits comfortably at the heart of this watery corridor, where Victorian maltings have given way to smart riverside developments and the old canal system still hums with narrow boats.

Henry Moore's sculptures dominate the cultural landscape at Perry Green, just a short drive north. The Henry Moore Foundation's outdoor gallery features major works including Large Upright Internal/External Form and the striking Knife Edge Two Pieces scattered across rolling Hertfordshire countryside. It's a proper pilgrimage site for art lovers.

Canal-side pubs line the waterfront, while the town centre retains its market town feel despite the commuter influx. Scott's Grotto in nearby Hertford provides an eccentric diversion - elaborate 18th-century shell-decorated chambers that took decades to complete.

Getting here couldn't be easier. Ware station sits on the Liverpool Street line, making London a 45-minute hop. The A10 runs right past if you're driving, connecting to the M25 in minutes.

RAF Hunsdon lies just east of town, where the Jobling-Weston Aircrew Memorial commemorates wartime sacrifice at this former bomber base. The airfield's runways are long gone, but the memorial keeps the memory alive.

Staying at one of the surrounding parks makes perfect sense for exploring both the Lee Valley's recreational offerings and the wider Hertfordshire countryside. Commons Wood Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite and Lee Valley Caravan Park Dobbs Weir put you right in the thick of the waterway action, while Church Farm Ardeley offers a more rural base for Henry Moore pilgrimages and countryside rambles.