Kent

Most visitors to the Isle of Sheppey drive straight through Minster without stopping. More fool them. This proper Kentish village sits in the island's rural heart, where the pace slows and medieval stones tell stories that go back a thousand years.

Minster Abbey dominates the scene - a Saxon foundation that's been drawing pilgrims since 670AD. The abbey church still holds services, while the Gatehouse Museum next door houses Roman finds and tells the story of England's oldest nunnery. It's quietly impressive stuff, without the crowds you'd find at Canterbury.

The village spreads around ancient lanes lined with weatherboard cottages and Georgian houses. Kingsborough Manor Community Woodland offers proper country walks through oak and beech, perfect for working off a pub lunch. Aviation buffs should make the short trip to Eastchurch Aviation Museum - this is where British flight began, and the collection includes engines and memorabilia from those pioneering days.

Sheppey might feel cut off, but you're actually well-placed for exploring north Kent. The Swale separates you from the mainland, crossed by a single bridge that can get busy in summer. Still, Sittingbourne is only 20 minutes away, and Canterbury's an easy hour when you fancy a proper day out.

Staying at one of the touring parks near Minster gives you the best of both worlds. You're close enough to walk into the village for evening meals, but far enough from the coast to avoid the summer crowds. The surrounding countryside is proper farming country - flat fields stretching to distant church towers, with footpaths linking scattered hamlets. It's not dramatic, but it's peaceful in a way that feels increasingly rare.