Castle Drogo Chapel

The chapel inside Castle Drogo is one of those places that catches you off guard. You're wandering through this granite fortress - yes, an actual castle, built in the 1920s - and suddenly you step into this intimate little church space. It's austere in the way only early 20th-century ecclesiastical design can be: stone, simplicity, no faffing about with ornament.

What makes it worth the visit is how perfectly it fits the castle's overall design. The chapel feels genuinely part of the building rather than tacked on. There's something rather moving about worshipping - or simply sitting - in a space this deliberately understated. The light comes through properly, the proportions work. Spend twenty minutes here, maybe half an hour if you're that way inclined.

Families doing a castle day won't find much to hold their attention, truth be told. Kids need somewhere to run about, and a chapel isn't it. But if you're an architecture buff or interested in how the wealthy chose to express their faith in the interwar period, you'll find it genuinely interesting. It's free to visit if you're already touring the castle grounds - though you should check current opening hours before making the trip from Exeter.

If you're staying at Barley Meadow Touring Park or Woodland Springs nearby, the castle makes a solid afternoon outing. Pair it with a walk round the grounds rather than trying to squeeze in too much. The chapel alone won't fill your day, but it's a proper highlight of the visit.