Capel y Groes

This small whitewashed chapel sits alone on a hillside above Bala, and there's something rather moving about finding it. Capel y Groes is Welsh Methodist through and through - built in 1822 and still working hard for its community, though you'll need to time your visit right if you want to catch a service rather than just peer through the windows.

It's genuinely tiny. The sort of place where you spend ten minutes inside and that's plenty. The interior is whitewashed and spare, all dark wood pews and an earnest simplicity that tells you everything about 19th-century Welsh chapel life. There's no frillery here, no tourist information boards - just the real thing.

Really this works best as part of a wider walk around Bala itself. The chapel makes a decent target if you're exploring the hills above the town, and the views back over the valley aren't bad. If you're staying at Tyn Cornel Camping just down the road, it's the sort of detour that takes an afternoon. History buffs and people interested in Welsh religious heritage will get more from it than casual visitors looking for a quick photo stop.

Don't expect opening hours or admission fees - it's a working chapel, not a museum. Your best bet is asking locally in Bala what times suit a visit. It's free to look around, assuming you catch it unlocked, and you won't need more than 20 minutes here. Beautiful piece of Wales, but unmissably modest.