Watchet

Steam trains rumble past this working harbour town where fishing boats still bob alongside pleasure craft in the ancient port. Watchet sits snug against the Bristol Channel, its sea wall protecting narrow streets lined with independent shops and traditional pubs from winter storms.

The town's railway heritage runs deep - trains from Williton station bring day-trippers to explore the harbour and the excellent Boat Museum. From here, the West Somerset Railway chugs inland through proper countryside, while Doniford Halt serves the nearby holiday parks stretched along this stretch of coast.

Climbing inland from the harbour, the landscape opens into rolling hills and dense woodland. Beacon Hill offers cracking views back over the channel, while walkers can lose themselves in Curdon Wood or Castle Wood for hours. The contrast is striking - salty sea air one minute, woodland quiet the next.

Minehead lies just eight miles east along the coast road, making Watchet well-positioned for exploring both Exmoor's dramatic moorland and the gentler Somerset levels. The market town of Williton, with its Methodist Church and library, sits three miles inland and makes a useful stop for supplies.

Staying at one of the nearby holiday parks makes perfect sense for families wanting to combine seaside fun with countryside exploration. Haven Doniford Bay Holiday Park and Warren Bay Holiday Village put you right on the doorstep, while Mill Farm Caravan & Camping Park offers a more rural base just inland. The beauty of this area is you can spend morning rockpooling at low tide, lunch at a harbour pub, then be walking forest tracks by teatime.