Fairford

RAF Fairford sits at the heart of this unassuming Gloucestershire market town, giving it an unexpectedly international flavour when the American airbase hosts its world-famous air tattoo each summer. The rest of the year, Fairford feels properly rural - stone cottages line quiet streets, and the magnificent St Lawrence church dominates the skyline with some of the finest medieval stained glass in England.

Wandering through the town centre, you'll find a handful of traditional pubs and local shops, though it's hardly a retail destination. The real draw here is the countryside. Rolling Cotswold hills stretch in every direction, with excellent walking from your doorstep up Hampton Hill and Reddown Hill for cracking views across the Thames Valley.

Father Thames gallery showcases local artists, while the Richardson and Amey Nature Reserve offers peaceful woodland walks just outside town. Lea Wood and the surrounding forests provide proper countryside rambling, away from the tourist hordes that descend on Bourton-on-the-Water.

Fairford works well as a base for exploring the wider Cotswolds without the premium prices. You're twenty minutes from Cirencester, half an hour from Burford, and the M40 is easily accessible for day trips to Oxford or Bath. The town sits perfectly between the Thames Path and Cotswold Way, making it ideal for walkers.

Staying at one of the nearby holiday parks gives you countryside tranquillity while keeping market towns like Lechlade and Cirencester within easy reach. It's a proper slice of rural England, minus the coach parties.