Beacon Hill United Reformed Church

The cream-coloured chapel sitting on Beacon Hill, just outside Godalming, catches you off guard - it's surprisingly substantial for what you'd expect from a United Reformed Church in rural Surrey. Walking up to it on a quiet afternoon, you get proper views across the valley, which rather justifies the climb.

Inside, it's all straightforward Victorian solidity - original wooden pews, decent stained glass, the sort of place where you can actually feel the weight of a century and a half of Sunday services. There's no grand architectural showpiece here, but that's rather the point. This is a working community church, not a museum piece, and locals still gather here regularly.

It works well as a gentle leg-stretch if you're staying at one of the nearby glamping spots - Little Cowdray Farm or Tilford Woods are both within walking distance - and gives you a proper reason to explore the footpaths around this part of Surrey. The walk itself is worth doing more for the countryside than for any dramatic church interior, if we're being honest.

Go on a sunny afternoon when the light comes through those windows properly. You'll want to check opening times with Godalming tourist information first - it's a functioning parish church rather than a visitor attraction, so it's not always open to walkers. Worth the detour though if you're rambling in the area and the door's unlocked.