Gillingham Cemetery Chapel

The Victorian chapel at Gillingham Cemetery is one of those places you'll walk past without realising what you're looking at - unless you actually stop to look. It's a proper little piece of 19th-century architecture, all gothic revival details and understated dignity, sitting quietly among the headstones just outside Wincanton.

There's something genuinely moving about cemeteries like this. The chapel itself is the real draw - those stone walls and period features tell you far more about how people wanted to remember their dead than any plaque ever could. You won't spend hours here, but thirty minutes poking around makes for a thoughtful pause on a Dorset walk. It's the sort of place that appeals more to those interested in Victorian social history or architecture than it does to kids, who'll find it bit melancholic.

If you're staying at Sunnyhill Campsite or Gold Hill Glamping, both within five miles, this works nicely as a quieter alternative to busier attractions. Neither park is far enough that you couldn't walk to it on a decent day, though you'll want proper directions once you're in the village itself.

Free to visit, as far as anyone's concerned. Just be respectful - it's still an active cemetery. No set hours either, so daylight is your guide. Best visited on a clear day when you can actually see the stonework properly.