Ampleforth Abbey Church

The abbey church at Ampleforth sits just outside York, a working Benedictine monastery where you can actually attend services alongside the monks. It's a proper place of worship, not a museum - that's the first thing to understand. The church itself is grand without being showy, with clean lines and good light flooding through the windows. Built in the early 20th century, it replaced an earlier structure, and there's a calm that settles on you the moment you step inside.

If you're after a spiritual experience or genuinely interested in monastic life, this rewards a visit. Attending Vespers or another service gives you something authentic - you're not gawping at artefacts behind rope, you're part of the rhythm of the place. The monks sing, and it's rather moving. Outside the service times, you can wander the church freely and soak up the atmosphere.

Allow an hour if you're just looking around, longer if you time it with a service. There's no admission charge. It works brilliantly as a half-day outing from The Hideaway at Baxby Manor, just six miles away - a proper retreat into something contemplative after days spent tramping around the Yorkshire countryside. The abbey also runs a working farm and has a shop, so there's more to the place than just the church building itself. Not for everyone, certainly, but if you want to step outside the usual tourist trail near York, it's worth the short drive.