Wareham

Ancient Saxon walls still ring this thousand-year-old market town, making it one of the few places in England where you can literally walk the medieval defences. Wareham sits at the confluence of the rivers Frome and Piddle, its Georgian terraces and independent shops creating a properly lived-in feel that many Dorset towns have lost to tourism. The high street runs quiet midweek, but that's part of its charm - no crowds fighting for parking outside the butcher's.

From here, the Purbeck Hills roll southward toward some of Dorset's finest coastline. Corfe Castle crumbles romantically just eight miles away, while the fossil-hunting beaches of Lulworth Cove lie within a decent drive. The Dorset Golf & Country Club & Resort offers 18 holes with views across the heath, though serious walkers will find better entertainment on the countless footpaths threading through surrounding farmland.

Warehouse's real draw is its position. You're 20 minutes from Poole's massive natural harbour, half an hour from the dramatic chalk stacks of Old Harry Rocks, and perfectly placed for day trips along the entire Jurassic Coast. The town itself rewards an hour's wandering - Saxon walls, a decent church, and a few pubs that do proper food rather than tourist tat.

Staying at nearby Wareham Forest Tourist Park or Durdle Door Holiday Park puts you within easy reach of both the town's quiet pleasures and Dorset's coastal showstoppers. It's the sort of base that works whether you fancy a lazy morning reading the papers in Wareham's market square or hiking the South West Coast Path before lunch.