Preston

Great Eccleston's annual show tells you everything about this corner of the Fylde - it's proper Lancashire farming country where the villages still have heart. The PR3 6TQ postcode covers a stretch of flat, fertile land where the Wyre meanders towards the coast, creating a landscape of broad fields broken by ancient woodlands like Crow Wood and Millfield Wood. Churches dot the countryside - Elswick Memorial and Out Rawcliffe's St. John among them - reminders of when these were thriving agricultural communities.

Wyre Archaeology preserves the area's deeper past. The Fylde might look gentle now, but this was once Roman territory, and the museum does a cracking job of bringing those layers of history to life. Walking through Rigg's Wood, you can almost imagine the legions passing through.

Preston proper lies about 12 miles southeast, but this rural pocket feels worlds away from the city's bustle. The M55 provides quick access - junction 3 puts you right into Great Eccleston territory. From here, Blackpool's barely 20 minutes by car, while the Ribble Valley's rolling hills beckon inland.

Basing yourself at one of the local holiday parks makes perfect sense. Rawcliffe Hall Holiday Park and Wilson House Holiday Park offer easy access to both countryside walks and coastal day trips. For something more intimate, try Moss Rose Camping and Glamping Site or the working farm experience at Bowses Hill Farm. The Fylde's dead flat cycling country - brilliant for families - and having a park as your base means you can explore properly without the daily hotel checkout rush.