Edenbridge

The Eden Valley's market town sits quietly on the Kent-Surrey border, its High Street dotted with independent shops and historic inns that have served travellers for centuries. Edenbridge feels refreshingly unhurried compared to the commuter belt chaos nearby - midweek you can actually find a parking space and have a proper chat with the baker.

Woodland walks practically start from the town centre. Pollard Wood and Brooklands Wood offer gentle rambles through ancient beech and oak, while the more adventurous can tackle the network connecting Gilridge Wood to Cohambury Wood - a proper afternoon's hike that rewards with glimpses of deer and woodpeckers. Mill Wood sits closest to town if you're after a quick leg-stretch.

The surrounding countryside rolls away in all directions, classic Kent weald with hop gardens and oast houses punctuating the green fields. Train connections are excellent - Edenbridge Town station puts you 45 minutes from London Bridge, while Hever station serves the castle crowd. Penshurst and Groombridge stations open up the wider region for day trips.

Camping locally makes perfect sense. You're bang in the middle of some of England's finest walking country, with woods like Cinder Wood and Steadleaze Wood offering early morning solitude before the day-trippers arrive. The town itself provides all the essentials - decent pubs, a Waitrose, and that increasingly rare thing: a high street that still functions as a proper community hub. Plus you can walk to at least six different woodlands without getting in the car.