1. Hereford,
Herefordshire
This is a great bet for a late summer weekend. The River Wye flows through the city and you can walk along its banks, or pick up a picnic from one of the town's delis (try the Mousetrap Cheese Shop, 30 Church Street) and laze the afternoon away in Bishops Meadow, open parkland by the river. Hereford Cathedral is home to the Mappa Mundi, which has been dated to around 1300AD, and is a record of how scholars interpreted the world - both geographically and spiritually (Jerusalem is at the heart of the map) in that period. It also has the world's largest 'chained library', a security system introduced in the 17th century, which has helped the cathedral retain manuscripts dating back as far as the 8th century. If all the history gets a bit much, the pedestrianised streets hold a good selection of individual shops, and the Cider Museum (cidermuseum.co.uk), a little way west of town, offers tastings as well as everything you ever wanted to know about the county's most famous export.
Eat: Head to the Left Bank Village, a new development on the river, for a meal at Floodgates Brasserie (01432 349009), which serves meats from its own farm.
Sleep: The Miro Bar and Grill (01432 351132; mirorestauranthereford.co.uk) has four sleek apartments above the restaurant in the city's heart. Apartments for two start at £65 a night, those for four start at £80.
More info: visitherefordshire.co.uk
2. Winchester,
Hampshire
The pedestrian high street of this most delightful historic town offers good shopping, and the Great Hall, the cathedral and Wolvesey Castle, former grand home to the bishops, are all a few paces away. Spend the afternoon lazing on the cathedral's tranquil green with a picnic from the town's best deli, Cadogan and James - owned by TV chef James Martin (of Saturday Kitchen fame), then pop inside for evensong which takes place daily (except Sundays) around 5.30pm. The best shops are on The Square, a cobbled area and former cattle market, opposite the green; The Hambledon does a fine line in 'beautiful things', one-off clothing and Cath Kidston goodies, while Woodruffs is great for Diptyque candles and Molton Brown goodies. Dip into Georgie Porgie's for kids' stuff and the Little London boutique for cutting-edge designer gear.
Eat: The Wykeham Arms (01962 853834) is that rare thing, a gastro-pub that feels like a proper pub - cluttered, cosy and welcoming. Its reputation for locally sourced, top-class food means reservations are essential.
Sleep: The original - and arguably the best - Hotel du Vin (01962 841414; hotelduvin.com) is in Winchester, with cosy lounges, warm, honey-coloured dining rooms, and doubles from £109, room-only.
More info: visitwinchester.co.uk
3. Inverary,
Argyll
On the banks of Loch Fyne, Inverary is one of the earliest and best-preserved 'planned towns' in Scotland, dating from 1745. Aside from gazing at the stunning lochside scenery there is plenty to do: try a whisky or two at Loch Fyne Whiskies on Main Street or visit Inverary Jail, which has interactive exhibits in the courthouse and prisons. Just outside the town, Inverary Castle - still a private home - is stunning, with 16 acres of grounds, perfect for a stroll and a picnic. But the best way to soak up the views is from a boat; day cruises are available (fyne-cruises.com).
Eat: The George (01499 302111; thegeorgehotel.co.uk) has long been serving the best of local produce: West Highland beef and lamb, local seafood and Loch Fyne salmon at reasonable prices.
Sleep: The Loch Fyne Hotel (0870 950 6270; crerarhotels.com) is on the loch and has a small but impressive spa, rooms decked out in Ralph Lauren and Villeroy & Boch and two restaurants. Doubles from £110, B&B.
More info: inverary-argyll.com
4. Ludlow,
Shropshire
Famed for having more Michelin stars than anywhere outside London, Ludlow is foodie heaven. The elegant streets, home to more than 500 listed buildings - mainly Georgian, many half-timbered - hold a bewildering array of delis (Deli on the Square at 4 Church Street is particularly good), specialist food shops, bistros and restaurants. The town's history is equally interesting: Ludlow Castle was once the administrative centre for the whole of the Marches - a vast tract of land along the Welsh border - and the ruins remain impressive. Broad Street is one of the country's finest streets, with the elegant Buttercross building at the top and a medieval town gate at the bottom.
Eat: If you want Michelin-starred munch, head to La Bécasse (01584 872325; labecasse.co.uk) for all the veloutés and feuilletés you can manage. For something simpler, The Courtyard (01584 878080; thecourtyard-ludlow.co.uk), in the centre of town serves excellent reasonably priced bistro dishes.
Sleep: Mr Underhills at Dinham Weir (01584 874431; mr-underhills.co.uk) is a Michelin-starred restaurant with some very sleek rooms - doubles from £140 a night including breakfast.
More info: visitsouthshropshire.co.uk
5. Knaresborough,
North Yorkshire
Spectacularly located on a crag above the River Nidd, Knaresborough was mentioned in the Domesday book and parts of the town date from Anglo-Saxon times. Knaresborough specialises in northern quirkiness; the Petrifying Well is a bizarre geological formation where the water supposedly turns items into stone, and Mother Shipton's cave is the birthplace of a 16th-century prophetess (mothershiptonscave.com). The streets around the central Cross are well worth a browse; kitsch sweet shops and teahouses give the town a delightfully old-fashioned feel.
Eat: Teashops are a specialty: try the gooey cakes at Lavender Rooms (16 Market Place), otherwise by far the best option is Gallon House, where residents of the three elegant bedrooms can enjoy slow-food three-course dinners, renowned as some of the best cooking in the area.
Sleep: Gallon House (01423 862102; gallon-house.co.uk) has double rooms from £110 per night, B&B, dinner from £27 pp.
More info: enjoyharrogate.com
6. Sherborne,
Dorset
Often overlooked, Sherborne is one of the most picturesque towns in England, with a beautiful abbey, historic almshouses and medieval streets and two castles. The 'new' castle (sherbornecastle.com), built by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1594, has 30 acres of stunning lakeside gardens, originally designed by 'Capability' Brown and lies on the other side of Sherborne Lake from the ruins of the 'old' castle, which dates from the 12th century. The town itself has a pedestrianised main street dotted with antiques shops, art galleries and quirky, one-off shops (if you need your violin restrung, or a handmade corset, this is the place to come) and the farmers' market on Saturday mornings is well worth a browse.
Eat: One of the best places to eat is actually a short drive out of Sherborne: the Chetnole Inn (01935 872337; thechetnoleinn.co.uk) offers top-notch pub food in lovely surroundings.
Sleep: The Eastbury (01935 813131; theeastburyhotel.co.uk) is in the heart of the town and has a delightful walled garden and 23 comfortable rooms (from £88 per night) and a restaurant that relies on local suppliers.
More info: westdorset.com
Sedbergh,
Cumbria
Literary fans will love this small atmospheric town close to the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales: it was officially recognised as England's 'book town' in 2006. Building on existing literary links - several second-hand bookshops, a book-maker and a number of writers among its residents - the town now has a renowned book festival (from 5-21 September this year). Don't miss the Green Door Sweet Shop (thegreendoorshop.com), where pear drops and cola pips will transport you back to childhood, and drop into the Dent Craft Centre, between Sedbergh and Dent, where local craftspeople display and sell their creations. It's impossible to visit Sedbergh and not explore the glorious surrounding countryside on foot, bike or horseback - Stonetrail Holidays (015396 23444; stonetrailholidays.com) offers both on an hourly or daily basis.
Eat: Warm up after a walk with tea and scones at the Sedbergh Cafe (30 Main Street) and keep the hearty theme going with good pub food at the Red Lion Pub (theredlionsedbergh.co.uk).
Sleep: The Dalesman (015396 21183; thedalesman.co.uk) is a cosy pub with simple country-style rooms and two small cottages a short walk from the pub. Cottages cost from £80 a night and sleep two or three, doubles cost from £70, both including breakfast.
More info: sedbergh.org.uk
8. Burford,
Oxfordshire
As chocolate-box pretty as Chipping Camden and Stow-on-the Wold, Burford benefits from being slightly away from the main tourist trail. It's easy to get to - just seconds off the A40 and you're transported into the slightly chi-chi world of the Cotswolds, where there's always room for one more jar of homemade chutney. The picturesque high street slopes down to the River Windrush, and it's possible to spend a whole day strolling around the gift shops and popping into the charming 15th-century parish church. If you feel like yomping off into the countryside, visit Huffkins (98 High Street), which does fabulous sandwiches, cakes, bread and soups - all made on the premises and perfect picnic fodder.
Eat: The Angel (01993 822714; theangelatburford.co.uk) serves top-end pub food - locally smoked trout; hazelnut-crusted lamb - in a pleasantly relaxed atmosphere.
Sleep: The Lamb Inn (01993 823155; cotswold-inns-hotels.co.uk) mixes a traditional country pub feel with elegant rooms and a rather swanky dining room. Doubles from £145, B&B.
More info: glos-cotswolds.com
9. Truro,
Cornwall
Truro's elegant architecture dates from its days as a bustling tin port, thanks to its location at the head of three rivers. The Italianate city hall is well worth a visit, as is the renovated neo-gothic cathedral, and wandering the cobbled streets and alleyways, dotted with specialist shops, makes a very pleasant way to spend an afternoon. Pop into Lemon Street Market, a sleekly designed indoor market that houses art galleries, craft shops and cafes specialising in sticky cakes. At Lemon Quay the Saturday farmers' market is a huge draw, and a boat from the Town Quay will take you along the estuary to the pretty fishing town of Falmouth.
Eat: Saffron (01872 263771, saffronrestauranttruro.co.uk) fills its menus with local produce, from spider crabs to strawberries, and is open all day - with home-baked biscuits and coffee in the morning and a full dinner menu.
Sleep: Although it's 13 miles out of Truro, the Lugger Hotel at Portloe (01872 501322; luggerhotel.com) is one of Cornwall's hippest addresses: cream beachfront bedrooms, an elegant restaurant specialising in local seafood, and its own spa. Doubles from £160 B&B.
More info: truro.gov.uk
10. Llandrindod Wells,
Powys
This relatively undiscovered former spa town has much to recommend it as a weekend destination: the wide boulevards and grand architecture give it a stately feel and the elegant parks (Temple Gardens is particularly pretty) date back to a time when tourists were drawn to the benefits of the mineral waters. The town has a clutch of excellent art galleries and craft workshops - from wood-carving and sculpting to ceramics - and the Porticus Gallery (1 Middleton Street; porticus.co.uk) is a good one-stop shop, with work by a selection of local artisans. But the must-visit is the mineral springs in the Rock Park Spa (01597 822997), where a modern-day complementary therapy centre still makes use of the waters.
Eat: The Herb Garden Cafe (01597 823082; herbgardencafe.co.uk) specialises in vegetarian food (although meat dishes are available) made from local organic produce.
Sleep: The Metropole (01597 823700; metropole.co.uk) is still run by the family that owned it in Victorian times, and the newly renovated spa offers a 21st- century take on the town's health heritage. Doubles from £115 B&B.
More info: llandrindod.co.uk
