Holy Cross

The Church of the Holy Cross sits in a quiet corner of Ceredigion, a few miles inland from the seaside town of Aberaeron. It's a modest stone building with real character - the sort of Welsh church that feels genuinely lived-in rather than preserved behind velvet ropes. Inside, there's a calm that's hard to find anywhere else, with whitewashed walls and simple wooden pews that speak to centuries of local worship.

This isn't a showstopper attraction. You won't spend hours here, and frankly, you shouldn't expect to. What you get instead is authenticity. History types will appreciate the medieval bones of the place, while anyone after a bit of peace and quiet will find exactly that. The churchyard itself is lovely for a wander, with views across the surrounding countryside that remind you why people settled here in the first place.

If you're staying at Woodlands Holiday Park over in Llanon or one of the caravan parks nearby - Morfa Farm or Pengarreg - Holy Cross makes a proper detour on a country drive. Park up in Aberaeron, grab lunch, then take a gentle meander inland to find it. Twenty minutes here feels about right; any longer and you're just sitting in the pews daydreaming, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Bring the kids if they're the contemplative sort. Bring a camera if the light's right. It's the kind of place that rewards a little effort to find it.