Market Rasen

Horses thunder down the track here twice a year, but Market Rasen's real charm lies in the rolling Lincolnshire Wolds that surround this proper market town. The famous racecourse draws crowds for National Hunt racing, yet between meets, the place settles into a quieter rhythm of market days and country pub conversations.

Lincolnshire Wolds National Landscape wraps around the town like a green embrace. The Chase and Kingerby Wood offer brilliant walking through ancient woodland, while Cadney Reservoir provides decent fishing if you fancy a quiet afternoon by the water. Archaeologists will appreciate Brockenback and the various Burial Grounds dotted across the landscape - remnants of settlements that predate the town by centuries.

For something completely different, Hibaldstow Skydiving Centre lies just outside town. Watching people hurl themselves out of perfectly good aeroplanes becomes oddly addictive after the third pint at the local.

The surrounding countryside is classic Wolds territory - gentle hills, scattered copses like Pingle Wood and Crow Holt, and views that stretch for miles on clear days. It's proper walking country, with footpaths threading between Highfield Plantation and Stonepit Plantation.

Lincoln sits 20 miles southeast if you need a proper shopping fix, but Market Rasen has enough independent shops to keep you busy for an hour or two. The weekly market still draws farmers and locals from surrounding villages.

Staying at one of the nearby parks makes perfect sense. You're bang in the middle of the Wolds, with Lincoln Cathedral visible on clear days, yet far enough from major roads to actually hear birdsong at breakfast.