All Saints Parish Church, Lanchester

The church sits bang in the middle of Lanchester village, a solid Norman structure that's been holding down the fort since medieval times. All Saints is proper worth a look if you're passing through - the kind of place where you can spend twenty minutes poking around the interior or, if you're into old architecture, a good hour studying the details.

What strikes you first is how unpretentious it all feels. The nave is straightforward, the stonework honest. There's enough medieval work here to satisfy history types without being so ornate that you need a guidebook to appreciate it. The churchyard's pleasant too, the sort of quiet space where you can sit for a bit and actually hear yourself think.

Family groups won't find it a gripping destination on its own - kids get restless in churches after ten minutes - but it makes a solid addition to a morning wander around Lanchester village itself. The walking's easy enough, and the village has that genuine County Durham feel rather than being tarted up for tourists.

If you're staying at Derecroft Glamping or Haystax Holiday Park nearby, this is worth an afternoon detour. It's free to visit and you can just turn up whenever. Don't expect visitor facilities or a shop, but that's rather the point. Best visited on a decent day when the light comes through properly and you can actually see what you're looking at.