Visit the seaside - in the Derbyshire Dales

It may be nearly 100 feet above sea level, but with roughly one fish and chip shop per 100 residents, there’s something distinctly seasidey about Matlock Bath.

An old spa town in a valley of lush woodland, it’s been referred to as Little Switzerland, as well as cropping up in “best places to retire” type lists. However, I fondly, and firmly, see Matlock Bath as an unpretentious, good old British seaside resort – despite the nearest beach being 80 miles away, as the gull flies.

“Where’s the beach?” asks one of the bikers, while tucking into one of the 1,000 portions of fish and chips that Kosta’s chippy sells on a sunny Sunday in August…

First published in the Independent’s Travel pages.