Hope Church

The walk out to Hope Church from Dunstable feels like stepping back several centuries, which is rather the point. This little brick chapel sits isolated in the Hertfordshire countryside, a proper working church that's been serving a rural community since medieval times. The building itself is modest - red brick, small windows, the kind of place that wouldn't look out of place in a period drama - but that's exactly what makes it special.

Inside, it's all whitewashed walls and simple furnishings. No grand monuments or elaborate decoration. Just the bare bones of what a village church actually is: a room where people have come to think for seven hundred years. The isolation is the real draw here. You won't find crowds or gift shops or any of the machinery that surrounds more famous churches.

This works best for people who enjoy a walk with a destination rather than being entertained. It's a decent hike from Dunstable depending which route you take, so factor in a couple of hours either way. History types and walkers will get more from it than families with restless kids, though the countryside around here is lovely if you're after a proper countryside ramble.

If you're based at Merlin Farm Camping near Whipsnade Zoo - just down the road - Hope Church makes for a different sort of half-day. It's free and open, though opening hours aren't formally advertised. Go when the weather's decent and take time over the walk. That's when you'll understand why it's worth the detour.