Hexham

Stone-built shops line the market square while the Tyne flows past ancient abbey ruins. This proper border town sits bang in the middle of Northumberland's wildest landscape - Roman walls stretch across ridges to the south, while rolling moorland and scattered loughs fade north into the Cheviot Hills.

Hexham Abbey dominates the town centre, its Saxon crypt dating back 1,300 years. The Tuesday market still draws farmers from miles around. But it's what lies beyond the ring road that makes this place special. Housesteads Roman Fort perches on Hadrian's Wall just eight miles south - arguably the best-preserved stretch of the entire frontier.

The countryside here is properly remote. Climb King's Hill or Clew Hill for views that stretch to Scotland on clear days. Blackaburn Lough and Broomlee Lough offer peaceful walking, though you'll likely have them to yourself on weekdays. The area around Grindon Lough feels particularly wild - just you, curlews, and endless sky.

Getting here couldn't be easier. The A69 runs straight from Newcastle in 45 minutes, while the railway station sits right in the town centre with regular services to Carlisle and Newcastle. From London, it's a four-hour journey on the train.

Staying at one of the nearby campsites or glamping pods makes perfect sense. You're close enough to pop into Hexham for supplies or a proper meal, but far enough out to wake up to nothing but birdsong. The town's got decent pubs and shops, plus it's your gateway to both Hadrian's Wall country and the wider Northumberland National Park. Base yourself here and you can tackle everything from Roman archaeology to serious fell walking.