Christ Church Weston-super-mare

The Victorian facade of Christ Church rises up from the centre of Weston-super-Mare like something from a proper seaside postcard. Built in the 1830s when the town was reinventing itself as a fashionable resort, it's all Gothic Revival angles and solid stone - the kind of building that makes you stop and actually look up from your phone.

Inside, the church is straightforward and honest. High ceilings, decent stained glass, the usual Victorian fittings. It's not going to blow your mind architecturally, but there's something grounding about wandering through a working parish church while everyone else is queuing for fairground rides down the road. The organ is worth a moment if you catch it being played.

Really it's a place for a quiet ten minutes rather than a planned outing. History buffs will appreciate the period it represents - that moment when Weston was getting properly established. Families with kids who've had enough of the beach or amusement arcades might appreciate the peace, though it won't hold anyone's attention for long.

Free to enter, as these things usually are. Check locally for opening times as churches can be temperamental about visitors outside services. From the holiday parks clustered around Burnham-on-Sea - Channel View and Diamond Farm are closest at just over 3 miles - it's a five-minute drive into town. Pair it with the seafront if you're already here, but don't detour specially. It's the sort of thing you'll be glad you saw, not the reason you came.