Par

Clay country meets coast here in surprising fashion. Par sits where Cornwall's industrial heritage - those distinctive white pyramids of china clay waste - drops down to a proper sandy beach that most tourists miss entirely. The town itself is small and unpretentious, built around its working harbour and the railway line that still carries clay to ships bound for paper mills worldwide.

Mountlea Country Park offers decent walks through woodland that feels properly wild, especially after rain when the paths get muddy and the streams run fast. The station at Par connects you directly to the main London-Penzance line, making it dead handy for car-free holidays - though you'll want wheels to explore the best bits of this coast.

St Austell Bay stretches east and west from here, with the Eden Project just a few miles inland near Pentewan. The coastline alternates between small coves and longer stretches of sand, while inland the landscape rolls up towards Bodmin Moor. It's not the chocolate-box Cornwall of the far west, but there's something honest about this working corner of the county.

Staying at one of the holiday parks near Par gives you that rare thing - easy beach access without the summer crowds of Newquay or St Ives. The train connection means day trips to Truro or even Plymouth are perfectly doable, while the Lost Gardens of Heligan and the Eden Project are both within striking distance for rainy afternoons.