Cranbrook

Half-timbered houses line streets that have watched centuries pass by, while the surrounding Kentish countryside spreads out in all directions like a patchwork quilt of hop fields and ancient woodlands. This proper market town sits in the heart of the Weald, where you're never more than a short walk from dense forest or rolling farmland.

Cranbrook feels properly English without trying too hard. The high street maintains that unhurried pace you'd expect from a town that's been here since medieval times. From here, you can lose yourself in the maze of woodland that defines this corner of Kent - Hemsted Forest offers proper rambling territory, while smaller patches like Hilly Wood and Crouch's Wood provide shorter escapes into nature.

Families will find unexpected treats scattered through the landscape. The Gruffalo Trail winds through the woods, complete with carved characters that'll delight youngsters who know Julia Donaldson's stories. It's a bit of a treasure hunt really, searching out the Snake, Renard, and Gruffalo child sculptures hidden among the trees.

For something completely different, the Little Farningham Roman iron production site reminds you that people have been working this land for nearly two millennia. Less dramatic perhaps than some Roman sites, but fascinating if you're into industrial archaeology.

Tunbridge Wells lies just 15 minutes north if you need proper shopping or rail connections to London. But honestly, once you're settled in one of the nearby camping spots like Tanner Farm Park or the various glamping sites dotted around Rankins Farm and Wood View Farm, you'll find plenty to keep you occupied without venturing far. The density of woodland here is remarkable - Bull Wood, Furnace Wood, Johnson's Wood - each offering different walking routes and wildlife spotting opportunities.