Combe Martin Baptist Church

The Baptist Church in Combe Martin sits quietly in this coastal village between Ilfracombe and Barnstaple, a solid Victorian-era building that most holiday-makers heading to the beach probably miss entirely. It's the sort of place you stumble upon when wandering the village on a rainy afternoon or when you've exhausted the seaside attractions nearby.

You won't spend hours here - twenty minutes maximum if you're genuinely interested in the architecture and local religious history. The church itself is modest, nothing like the grand medieval parish churches you'll find elsewhere in Devon. What matters is the setting within the village and what it tells you about Combe Martin's past, particularly the 19th-century community life that shaped the area.

If you're staying at one of the nearby parks - Newberry Valley or Sandaway Beach are practically on the doorstep - this works as a gentle walk-round before heading to the proper attractions. The village itself has more going for it: rock pools, coastal paths, and the Victorian Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park if you've got children in tow.

Religion enthusiasts will get more from this than most. Families with young kids? They'll be restless within five minutes. But if you enjoy exploring how small English villages developed, and you're already in Combe Martin anyway, the church is worth a quick stop. Don't plan a trip specially for it, but don't skip it if you're passing through.