Twelve Names We Only Whisper at Check-In: The Parkside Neighbourhood List

Ask at reception what is worth doing and you will get a different answer to the one on the leaflet stand. Not because the leaflet is wrong, but because the places we spend our own money in tend to be smaller, quieter and slightly harder to find.

Here are twelve of them. We will happily write directions on the back of a card at check-in, and if you are staying more than one night, we will space them out so you are not chasing your own itinerary.

Coffee first, always

1. Ferris and Sons. Six minutes on foot, no sign above the door, just a chalkboard on the pavement. Two coffees and a pastry, done properly, in a room where nobody minds if you sit for an hour with the paper. Go before half nine if you want the window seat.

2. Pear Tree Books. Second-hand, three rooms deep, shelving with a mind of its own. The owner keeps a stack of local maps by the till and does not mind browsers who leave empty-handed. The best place in town to wait out a shower.

The park, but the quiet end

3. The bench above the pond. Everyone walks the long avenue. Almost nobody climbs the short path behind the bandstand to the ridge, where a single bench faces west. On a clear winter afternoon it catches the last of the light, and you can hear the water without hearing the traffic.

4. The east wall gate. There is a small iron gate in the park's eastern wall that opens onto a lane of Victorian terraces. It is unlocked until dusk, shaves fifteen minutes off the walk back from the museum, and is never busy.

When it rains

5. The Old Baths. A tiny museum in the town's former public baths: tiled walls, the original plunge pool, and a room of photographs of the people who used to swim there. Free, open Wednesday to Sunday, about forty minutes end to end, and you will likely have it to yourself.

6. The Picture House. One screen, red seats, a proper interval, and a chocolate kiosk run by two volunteers. There is a matinee and an evening film, and the Sunday afternoon slot is usually something black and white with subtitles.

Sunday lunch, and how to actually get it

7. The Lock Keeper's. Twelve minutes along the canal, low ceilings, no music. The roast is the best in the area and everyone local knows it, which means Sunday tables go about three weeks out. Ring them the day you book your room and you will be fine.

8. Cutler's Yard. Saturday mornings only: a handful of stalls in a cobbled yard behind the high street. Bread, cheese, and a man who sharpens knives and will happily talk to you about it for twenty minutes. Arrive before eleven while the sausage rolls last.

Small places worth a detour

9. Beck's Bakery. Opens at seven, sold out of croissants by half eight. If you are an early riser, this is your walk, and a good excuse to see the town before it properly wakes up.

10. Moss and Fern. Half plant shop, half very good deli. Pick up something for the drive home, and ask nicely on a Friday if you want a picnic box made up.

11. The walled garden. Inside the park, up the slope behind the rose beds, there is a gate that is usually propped open. Cold frames, a greenhouse, and a bench sheltered from three directions at once. Bring a flask.

12. The Bell and Anchor, Tuesday nights. Quiz at nine, teams of up to six, and a landlord who takes it far too seriously. Turn up with a name and he will find you a team. It is the closest thing to a local night out you can fit into a weekend.

Using the list properly

You do not need a car for any of these. That is rather the point of the neighbourhood: everything above sits within about fifteen minutes of our front door, which is part of why we chose the building in the first place.

Tell us at check-in which of the twelve appeals and we will write you a route, call a taxi if you would rather not walk, or talk you out of the ones that do not suit your trip. We would much rather send you to the right three places than the famous five.

Two nights works best for this list. One day for the park and the town, one for the canal and the museum, with a roast somewhere in the middle. Our winter short-break rate includes breakfast both mornings and a late checkout, and the Garden Rooms at the back are the ones to ask for if you are a light sleeper or travelling with a dog.

And if you find a thirteenth place, do tell us. We are always updating the card.