Potter away a day at Trentham Shopping Village — pretty timber-fronted lodges packed with independent boutiques, homeware, local food producers, and a giant garden centre. Pick up gifts, plants, and treats, then pause for coffee, gelato, or lunch at one of the cafés and eateries dotted around the lakeside.

If you fancy more, add time for the Trentham Gardens (entry extra) with its Italianate terraces, perennial borders, and mile-long lake, or meet the free-roaming monkeys at Trentham Monkey Forest next door (ticketed). Easy strolling, lots of choice, and plenty of spots to sit and watch the world go by.