Bishop's Stortford Baptist Church

Red brick and Victorian earnestness - that's what hits you first when you turn onto South Street in Sawbridgeworth and spot Bishop's Stortford Baptist Church. It's a solid, no-nonsense piece of 19th-century religious architecture, the kind of place where you can almost hear the hymns echoing through the walls even when it's quiet.

Inside, there's genuine warmth to the space. The congregation is welcoming to visitors, which counts for far more than fancy stonework or elaborate decoration. The church itself is modest compared to the grand Anglican cathedrals you'll find elsewhere in Hertfordshire, but that's rather the point - this is community Christianity, proper and unpretentious.

It's worth a stop if you're interested in Victorian dissent and working-class religious history. Families won't be bored for long, though older children might appreciate the architectural details and what they represent about 1870s Sawbridgeworth. Allow half an hour maximum, and do ring ahead if you're planning a visit, as opening times aren't fixed.

Stay at Toad Abode or The Wild Retreat at Redricks Lake - both within five miles - and you've got a proper Hertfordshire base. The Wild Retreat especially is excellent if you want something more relaxed. This church works best as part of a broader mooch around Sawbridgeworth rather than a destination in itself, but that's what makes it genuine.