For English charm and beautiful landscapes, Wiltshire is hard to top. The small riverside town of Chippenham — an hour from London — is the perfect base for exploring local history and nearby Lacock Abbey. This 800-year-old edifice was used as a location for scenes in the Harry Potter film series, including the location of Professor Snape’s classroom. Boasting one of the oldest brew houses in England, the abbey’s artifacts include a massive 500-year-old cauldron. Perhaps more impressively (sorry, Harry Potter fans), the abbey is considered the birthplace of photography. After becoming a Tudor family home to British scientist and inventor William Henry Fox Talbot, Talbot laid the groundwork for modern photography with the creation of a process involving salted paper and silver nitrate that resulted in the world’s first photographic images. Within the abbey grounds, the Fox Talbot Museum offers changing exhibitions exploring the history of photography including the upcoming Fenton Collection of historic cameras, optical devices and toys.

Stay at the cozy Angel Hotel in the center of town, within a quick stroll of attractions that include the Market Square. The Best Western Plus property has historic provenance and a sunny leisure center with gym and a heated pool topped by a sloping glass skylight. Opt for a named room in the main house, with plenty of atmosphere and traditional décor such as curtained beds, seating areas with fireplaces and tall windows overlooking the grounds or village. A beautiful bricked courtyard with gardens and seating areas separates the older main building from its newer, contemporary addition. There’s dining onsite, and the hotel staff can arrange for you to play a round at The Chippenham Golf Club, a rolling parkland course established in 1896 that features bunkered greens and narrow fairways. Don’t miss a visit to the Chippenham Museum and Heritage Center, where the town’s history unfolds through exhibitions detailing its past from Saxon times, through the reign of Alfred the Great, and on to modern days and the construction of Brunel’s Railway. Galleries detail trades and industry including flour production, along with historic village panoramas, a working flourmill and informative exhibits on how war affected the town and its residents.