Wigton

Working farms stretch out in every direction from this modest Cumbrian market town, where sheep dot the rolling fell country and life moves at a decidedly unhurried pace. Wigton sits in the Eden Valley proper, with the Lake District's northern fells rising dramatically to the south and the Solway Plain spreading towards Scotland.

The town itself is perfectly pleasant but nothing spectacular - a proper working place rather than a tourist honeypot. What makes it special is the access it gives you to some cracking countryside. Banks peak offers rewarding fell walking just a short drive away, while Whitelock Wood and Wood Close provide gentler rambles through ancient woodland where red squirrels still thrive.

For those with a taste for the unusual, Hammer Root Cave presents an intriguing underground adventure. The area's spiritual heritage runs deep too, with Castle Sowerby Chapel and The Church of St Kentigern both worth a look for their Norman stonework and peaceful settings. Sebergham St Mary's Church completes a triangle of medieval architecture that speaks to centuries of rural devotion.

Carlisle lies just fifteen miles north, making Wigton an ideal spot for exploring the Scottish borders without the crowds. The M6 runs close by, but once you turn off into the lanes around town, you're quickly into proper farming country where the biggest traffic jam is likely to be sheep being moved between fields.

Staying at one of the area's holiday parks makes perfect sense if you want to explore both the Lake District's quieter northern reaches and the borderlands beyond. You're close enough to Keswick for day trips but far enough away to enjoy the peace that comes with genuinely rural Cumbria.