Church of St Martin de Porres

The Church of St Martin de Porres sits just east of Dunstable, a modern addition to Hertfordshire's ecclesiastical landscape that catches plenty of visitors by surprise. Built in the latter half of the 20th century, it's not your typical ancient parish church - instead it's a contemporary space with clean lines and an understated charm that works rather well if you're after a moment of quiet reflection during a camping trip in the area.

You won't find medieval stonework or centuries of history layered into the walls here, but that's precisely the point. The church serves the local community with straightforward warmth, and the setting near the Chiltern Hills means the approach itself is pleasant enough. It's the sort of place walkers heading out from Merlin Farm Camping or Woodlands Caravan Site might stumble upon and decide to pop inside for ten minutes - not a detour in itself, but a worthwhile pause if you're already exploring the lanes around Dunstable.

Families staying at the nearby parks won't find it a particularly gripping stop for children, mind you. It's genuinely peaceful, which some will appreciate and others will find a bit subdued. The real draw of this corner of Hertfordshire is the proximity to Whipsnade Zoo and the wider Chiltern footpaths - the church works better as a quiet punctuation mark in a day's wandering than as a destination in its own right.