March

Forget the glamorous market towns - March sits firmly in Cambridgeshire's working heartland, where freight trains rumble through and the land stretches flat to every horizon. This railway town grew up around the junction where four lines meet, and that industrial heritage still defines its character today.

March & District Museum tells the story properly, housed in what was once the railway superintendent's house. The town's most famous resident never lived here at all - the Wellington Bomber Z8863 memorial commemorates the crew who crashed nearby during the war, a stark reminder of the area's wartime significance.

The surrounding Fenland landscape might look monotonous to some, but it has its own stark beauty. Whitemoor Prison Nature Reserve occupies an unexpected corner - don't let the name put you off, it's actually a cracking spot for birdwatching. Ring's End Nature Reserve offers more traditional fenland wildlife, while Stonea Camp marks where Romans once tried to tame this watery wilderness.

For something completely different, Fossils Galore sits just outside town - a proper fossil museum where you can handle specimens that are millions of years old. The kids will love it, especially after they've exhausted March Golf Club's more sedate pleasures.

Getting here is dead simple by train - March station connects directly to Cambridge, Peterborough, and beyond. By car, it's a straight shot down the A141 from the A14.

Staying at one of the area's holiday parks makes perfect sense. Fields End Water Caravan Park combines accommodation with fishing, while several glamping options like The Cambridgeshire Glamping offer a bit more luxury. You're ideally placed for day trips to Cambridge or the coast, but March itself deserves more than just a passing glance.