Capel Tegid

The whitewashed walls of Capel Tegid sit on the shore of Bala Lake, and it's one of those places that stops you mid-stride. This is a proper old Welsh chapel - dating back centuries - and the setting alone makes it worth the detour from Bala town centre, about three miles away.

The chapel itself is small and unfussy, which is exactly the appeal. You're looking at authentic religious architecture stripped of any Victorian faffing about. The real draw is standing outside, gazing across the water. On a clear day it's genuinely lovely, and the quiet gets under your skin in a good way.

Walkers will appreciate this most. It sits on a decent path around the lake shore, so it works well as a waypoint on a longer ramble rather than a destination in itself. Families with young kids might find twenty minutes here is enough - there's not a great deal to occupy them inside - but the lakeside setting keeps things pleasant.

There's no charge to look around, though information about opening times isn't straightforward, so treat it as a turn-up-and-hope situation. If you're camping at nearby Tyn Cornel, it's an easy morning walk, and combining it with a circuit of Bala Lake makes for a solid half-day out. The chapel won't take long, but the landscape will linger.