Hexham

Named as England's favourite market town by Country Life magazine, Hexham is an historic, bustling centre in the heart of the Tyne Valley.

Hexham Abbey is the historic centrepiece of the town - built around 675 AD at the direction of St Wilfred. The crypt is largely original, while the remainder was much altered after 1113 by the Augustinian canons and again in the Victorian and Edwardian periods.

The town also boasts two medieval towers: the 14th-century Hexham Old Gaol - the oldest purpose-built prison in England - and a Moot Hall which dates from the 14th or 15th century.

But Hexham is not just a place for those who love the past. It is a modern-day bustling market town that offers shops, leisure facilities and all the services you would expect to find in a settlement of its size.

Hexham also has a busy arts scene, centred round the award-winning Queen's Hall Arts Centre. The centre presents a varied programme throughout the year, including dance, drama and European cinema.

There are a wealth of antique and curio shops and a farmers market which boasts some of the best food, including organic bread and meat, that local producers have to offer.

Hexham is an ideal base from which to explore some of the area's unmissable attractions, including Hadrian's Wall and Kielder Water & Forest Park.