Brethren's Meeting Room

The Brethren's Meeting Room sits quietly in Lincoln, a modest chapel that tells you more about 19th-century religious life than any grand cathedral ever could. It's a working place of worship for the Plymouth Brethren, and what strikes you immediately is the plainness of it all - no stained glass, no ornate carvings, just honest brick and simple wooden benches. The whole point was that believers needed nothing between them and God, no fancy trappings, no clergy in fancy dress. You get the sense of something genuinely lived-in rather than preserved for tourism.

It's not a place for a long visit. Thirty minutes tops, and that's if you're genuinely interested in nonconformist Christianity. But if you're camping nearby at Hartsholme Country Park or one of the caravan sites dotted around Lincoln, and you've got an afternoon to kill before heading into the cathedral or wandering the high street, it's worth a quick look. Historians of religion will find it genuinely worthwhile. Families with restless children? Probably give it a miss unless they're old enough to appreciate architectural restraint.

Lincoln itself is the obvious draw - the cathedral dominates, the medieval streets are proper charming - and this little meeting room sits alongside that history as a quieter counterpoint. Opening hours aren't always clear, so check ahead or ask at your campsite. Admission is typically free, which at least removes the decision-making stress.