Sarah Gibbons

Tunbridge Wells has enjoyed ‘Royal’ status since 1909, when King Edward VII granted it the status as his wider family loved spending time there (notably including his late mother Queen Victoria). The town had already become hot property during the seventeenth century thanks to the discovery of its chalybeate spring, which helped turn the town into a booming spa resort after King James I drank the water and claimed it had curative properties. While the boom in sea bathing in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries saw the town’s popularity wane a little, its aristocratic appeal remained, hence that royal prefix. Found within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, its beautiful centre and the idyllic countryside close by make it a firm favourite among day-trippers and those keen on a weekend away from the bustle of the city. Here are the best things to do in Royal Tunbridge Wells right now. RECOMMENDED: Visit nearby Whitstable, Canterbury or Margate

There’s nowhere quite like Portmeirion. Well, nowhere in Wales, at least. Celebrated architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis dreamt up this marvellous marriage of Italian style and Welsh charm back in 1925, but it took many years to come together. Good things come to those who wait, as we all know, and Portmeirion is one of the most delightful places in Wales today. A tourist village with a soul, the best things to do in Portmeirion stir the soul.One of the finest spots in North Wales, everyone must visit Portmeirion at some point. This is the perfect day in the village and its surroundings.

It’s impossible to escape the sense of having reached the end of the world when you get to Dungeness. This tiny fishing town, at the southernmost point of Kent, is very different from the ‘Garden of England’ of the imagination. Instead of bucolic homes and village greens, you’ll find a stark, wild landscape. The vast shingle desert headland is overlooked by the imposing Dungeness Nuclear Power Station but is renowned for its unique beauty, from its weathered wood cabins to its abandoned fishing boats – not to mention the wildlife that thrives there. On a day trip? Here are the best things to do in Dungeness right now. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best things to do in Kent

Feeling the need for a dose of country village wholesomeness? You’ll find it in spades in the oh-so-charming Alfriston, in the heart of East Sussex. With its chocolate-box-pretty pubs, medieval buildings and independent shops, you’ll feel as if you’ve stepped back in time. The bucolic, rolling landscape of the South Downs is the main event here, though, so don’t forget your walking shoes and to soak up those views. RECOMMENDED: The best weekend breaks from London