Hythe, Hampshire

Hythe spends its days staring across the water at Southampton, which is either a lovely view or a permanent reminder that the interesting stuff is happening on the other shore. It has the oldest working pier train in the world, a machine whose entire ambition is to reach the end of a pier and stop, which tells you the pace the place is comfortable with. The marina glitters with yachts, most of them owned by people who will never sail further than the fuel dock. It remains the sort of town where the big event of the afternoon is watching someone else's cruise ship leave.