Northampton

Rolling farmland stretches in every direction, punctuated by church spires and dry-stone walls that speak of centuries past. This slice of West Northamptonshire sits well off the beaten track, where village life moves at a proper countryside pace and the biggest excitement might be spotting red kites wheeling overhead.

Coton Manor Gardens provides the area's standout attraction - a proper English country garden that's been lovingly tended for generations. The bluebell walks in spring are particularly lovely. Just down the road, Ravensthorpe Reservoir offers decent fishing and quiet walking paths, though it's hardly a beauty spot. More sombre but historically significant, the Resting Place of Diana, Princess of Wales draws visitors to Althorp's grounds.

Church enthusiasts will find plenty to occupy them. St Mary the Virgin Church in Great Brington houses some fine medieval stonework, while St Etheldreda and St Andrew's in Harlestone each tell their own stories of village worship spanning centuries. Lee Burrows Fine Art in nearby Guilsborough showcases local talent if you fancy something more contemporary.

The countryside here is proper farming territory - endless fields of wheat and rapeseed broken by copses like Thorneycroft Wood. Bramptons Hill offers modest elevation and decent views across the Northamptonshire landscape, though you'll need to work for them.

Getting here means navigating narrow country lanes off the A5199, with Northampton town centre about twenty minutes east providing the nearest proper shops and transport links. The glamping options scattered around farms like Hideaway Wood and Moon Valley Glamping Retreat make perfect sense here - you're embracing the rural experience anyway, so why not go the whole hog with alpacas for company and proper starry skies overhead?