Hexham Trinity Methodist Church

The Methodist chapel on Hexham's high street is one of those buildings you walk past a dozen times before actually stopping to look properly. Built in the 1870s, Trinity Methodist Church has the kind of solid Victorian confidence that makes you wonder what happened to our ability to construct public buildings with genuine character.

Inside, it's all original timber and natural light - the sort of space that feels genuinely used rather than preserved in aspic. The craftsmanship is proper impressive if you care about that sort of thing: the woodwork, the proportions, the way the light falls through the windows. You get a real sense of how seriously the Victorian Methodists took their religion.

It's not a destination in itself, but if you're spending time in Hexham - which you should, it's a cracking market town - this is well worth a fifteen-minute stop. The church sits right in the town centre, so combining it with a wander round the shops, the abbey across the way, and a decent lunch makes for an easy morning.

Families won't find it overly engaging unless the kids are genuinely into Victorian architecture. History enthusiasts and anyone interested in industrial-era Methodism will get more from it. There's no visitor information on opening times or charges readily available, so pop into the town centre and ask locally - locals in Hexham are generally helpful.

If you're staying at Springhouse Boutique Holiday Park nearby, it's barely five miles away and worth the short drive into town.