Welshpool

Steam trains still chuff through this Welsh market town just like they did a century ago. Welshpool sits in the Severn Valley where rolling farmland meets proper Welsh hills, and there's something wonderfully unhurried about the place.

The town itself keeps things real - no tourist tat here, just working shops and locals getting on with life. Market day brings a proper buzz to the streets, though midweek you'll find it refreshingly quiet. The railway heritage runs deep, with Heniarth and Cyfronydd stations serving the narrow gauge line that winds through the surrounding countryside.

Hill walkers have a field day here. The peaks surrounding Welshpool - Mynydd Du, Y Wenallt, and Hafod Seller among them - offer cracking views across the Welsh borders without requiring serious mountaineering skills. Gallt-Yr-Ancr and Ty-top provide gentler climbs for families, while the more ambitious can tackle Mynydd Pen-Y-Ffridd for panoramic vistas.

Getting here is straightforward enough - the A483 runs right through town, connecting to Oswestry and beyond. It's proper Welsh countryside once you're here though, with sheep-dotted hills rolling away in every direction.

Basing yourself at one of the nearby holiday parks makes perfect sense. You're close enough to walk into town for supplies or a pub lunch, but far enough out to enjoy the peace of the valley. The surrounding peaks are all within easy reach for day walks, and you'll fall asleep to the sound of nothing but sheep and the occasional train whistle echoing across the hills.