Halkyn Castle Wood

The handy location near Junction 33 of the A55 means you can head off on a big-city adventure: Chester (25 minutes’ drive) has ancient walls to stroll around and is packed with indie shops and buzzy bars in half-timbered buildings. Llangollen (40 minutes) is a quieter option, with brooding castle ruins, a fab location on the Dee river and a cluster of waterside pubs. If days out in fresh air are more your thing, then Snowdonia (55 minutes) will see you on challenging walking routes, or closer to base camp, there are glorious sea views along the Wales Coast Path (15 minutes). Talacre beach (30 minutes) offers rolling sand dunes, ideal for family picnics and run-around games of tag, while there are plenty of beach options on the Isle of Anglesey (an hour) too. Still outdoors, add a bit of history into the mix with a nose around Moel y Gaer Iron Age settlement (10 minutes), and check out the medieval ruins at Greenfield Valley Heritage Park (15 minutes).