Bridport

Rope-making heritage runs through every red brick street here. Bridport built its fortune on hemp and flax, supplying the Royal Navy with nets and cordage for centuries. That industrial past shapes the town still - wide streets designed for rope walks, solid Georgian buildings that speak of maritime prosperity.

West Bay, just two miles south, provides the seaside element. The harbour starred in Broadchurch, though locals will tell you it's been a proper working port long before the cameras arrived. Those towering sandstone cliffs either side of the harbour mouth are the real draw - part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site.

Conegar Hill offers cracking walks through ancient woodland, while Coney's Castle - a National Trust Iron Age hill fort - rewards the climb with views across the Marshwood Vale. The surrounding countryside feels properly rural, all rolling hills and hedgerows dotted with small villages like Wootton Fitzpaine.

Bridport itself has a lovely Wednesday and Saturday market - one of the largest in Dorset. The town's reinvented itself as something of an arts hub, with independent shops and cafes filling the Georgian terraces. It's not flashy, but there's substance here.

Getting here is straightforward enough from London via Dorchester South, though you'll want a car to properly explore. The A35 runs right past, linking Bridport to the rest of the south coast. Staying at one of the nearby holiday parks makes perfect sense - you're within easy reach of both the town's amenities and that spectacular coastline, plus all those Dorset country pubs scattered through the villages inland.