A holiday rental specialist has revealed that a Forest of Dean town is the number one market town in the UK for a spring visit. 

HomeToGo has released a list of the top 15 market towns to visit this spring in the UK, and Coleford has been ranked as number one. 

The ranking took into account various factors such as affordability, scenic settings and climate, with only towns situated within a one-hour walk of a National Park, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) or Heritage Coast being considered. 

Coleford had the highest spring temperature of any market town in the ranking, with a maximum temperature of 17.32 degrees celsius on average in spring, as well as 190.1 hours of sunshine a month. 

The median nightly price per person for a holiday rental in Coleford was judged to be £40.32, which was not the cheapest of the ranked towns, but was cheaper than more than a third. 

It also received points for its proximity to the Wye Valley AONB, which is a 40 minute walk away or just five minutes in the car. 

puzzlewood
Puzzlewood is one of the attractions that Coleford offers (Carl Newton on Unsplash)

One other Gloucestershire town made the list, with Lechlade-on-Thames coming in at number six, being slightly sunnier than Coleford but more expensive, and a further distance from an AONB. 

HomeToGo describes Coleford as “a great base from which to explore the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with 190.1 hours of sunshine a month and a maximum temperature of 17.32 degrees celsius on average in spring. 

“Don’t miss: the Puzzlewood, a magical area of forest which featured as a set location in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” 

Eleanor Moody, UK Market Manager at HomeToGo, commented: “With England ranking as the most-searched location via hometogo.co.uk for holidays this spring, it is clear that domestic stays remain a popular choice amongst British travellers - even with the resurgence of international trips. 

“We are thrilled to highlight some lovely locations with this list [...] and hope that it helps out holidaymakers with plenty of ideas for places to visit as we approach spring’s string of long weekends."