East Putford Church (Disused)

The church sits quietly at the end of a lane just outside Bideford, looking rather like it's given up on the whole being-a-place-of-worship thing some time ago. East Putford Church is essentially a shell now - disused and weathered, with that particular melancholy that abandoned religious buildings tend to have. You can peer through gaps and get a sense of what it must have been like when services actually happened here, but don't expect to wander inside proper.

This is really one for architecture enthusiasts and anyone with a taste for ecclesiastical decay rather than families hoping for interactive exhibits. Walkers heading out from Bideford might find it worth a detour if you're exploring the backroads, though you'll need to be prepared for a slightly awkward approach and the fact there's precious little to actually do once you've looked at it. Twenty minutes, maybe, unless you're the type who sits about sketching crumbling stonework.

The actual appeal lies in how it sits in the landscape - proper quiet Devon countryside - rather than any particular grandeur. If you're staying at Roeys Retreat Campsite nearby, it's close enough for a gentle walk, though honestly the surrounding lanes offer just as much interest. Worth knowing about if you're already in the area poking about, but I wouldn't drive specifically from Bideford just for this one. The real draw is the journey through the lanes rather than the destination itself.