Wotton-under-Edge

Perched on the southern edge of the Cotswolds, this market town feels properly lived-in rather than precious. Wotton-under-Edge sits in a valley carved between wooded hills, where stone cottages line narrow streets that climb steeply from the town centre. The high street has that midweek quiet you get in working towns, but come Saturday and the place buzzes with farmers' market energy.

Walk five minutes from the town centre and you're scrambling up Butchers Hill or Anchorite Hill, both offering cracking views across the Severn Vale. The countryside here is a proper patchwork - ancient woodland like Wick's Hill Plantation bumps up against working farms, while Roman history lurks everywhere you look. Priestwood Roman Villa reminds you that this area's been settled for centuries, and the WW2 Pillbox near the edge of town shows how strategic this bit of high ground remains.

Tortworth Lake makes for a lovely afternoon wander, especially when the light catches the water through the trees. Less touristy than the honey-stone villages further north, Wotton feels like the Cotswolds without the coach parties. You can actually park here without a fight.

Getting here is straightforward enough - the M5 runs nearby, and Yate's your nearest railway station about 20 minutes away. Bristol's just 40 minutes down the road when you need proper shops or a decent curry. Staying at one of the nearby parks like Wixoldbury Farm Glamping or Tudor Caravan Park gives you the best of both worlds - countryside peace with a proper town for supplies and a pint.