Morpeth

A coal seam runs beneath this market town's Georgian terraces, though you'd never guess it from the genteel coffee shops lining the cobbled streets. Morpeth feels properly prosperous these days - antique dealers and delis have replaced the hardware stores, while the Chantry Bagpipe Museum sits rather incongruously above the tourist information centre.

From here, Northumberland's coast beckons with some serious rewards. Druridge Bay Country Park stretches for seven miles - a proper expanse of dunes and wetlands where you might spot seals basking offshore. The beaches here are the real deal: wide, sandy, and mercifully uncrowded even in summer.

Inland adventures centre on Queen Elizabeth II Country Park Lake, where sailing dinghies bob between the reeds. Hall Wood offers decent walking if the coast feels too blustery, though frankly the sea air usually wins out. Chibburn Preceptory's medieval ruins make for an interesting detour - what's left of a 12th-century monastery that once controlled vast estates.

Getting here couldn't be easier. The A1 sweeps past just to the west, while the East Coast Main Line stops right in town centre. Newcastle's only 20 minutes south, making this an ideal spot to escape the city without venturing into proper wilderness.

Staying at one of the nearby holiday parks makes perfect sense. You're close enough to nip into town for supplies or a decent pub lunch, yet perfectly positioned for coastal walks and countryside rambles. The Northumberland coast path practically starts on your doorstep.