Chesterfield

The crooked spire of St Mary & All Saints dominates the skyline here, leaning at a precarious 9 feet off centre - though locals have long since stopped pointing it out to tourists. This market town sprawls across north Derbyshire's coalfield, where Victorian terraces climb steep hills and the old mining heritage still echoes through former pit villages.

Chesterfield's biggest draw remains that famous twisted church tower, visible for miles across the surrounding countryside. The town centre revolves around a traditional market that's been trading since medieval times - Thursday and Saturday are the days when it properly comes alive. Beyond the retail parks and ring roads, you'll find remnants of its industrial past at places like the Roundhouse Halt, a reminder of the railways that once carried coal from local pits.

The surrounding landscape offers decent walking territory. Light Wood provides a bit of green relief close to town, while the broader Peak District beckons just to the west. It's proper hill country once you get beyond the urban sprawl - rolling moorland punctuated by dry stone walls and the occasional sheep farm.

Getting here couldn't be easier, with Chesterfield station sitting bang on the Midland Main Line between London and Sheffield. The M1 runs parallel, making it accessible by car too. For families wanting to explore both the town's attractions and the wider Derbyshire countryside, staying at one of the nearby holiday parks makes good sense - you're close enough for a quick trip into the centre but positioned perfectly for daytrips into the Peaks or across to the Rother Valley.