Lady Chapel

The Lady Chapel sits just outside Leiston, a modest medieval structure that stops most people dead in their tracks the first time they see it. This is a church that's actually a church - proper proportions, genuine stonework, the lot - yet it feels almost impossibly remote, surrounded by fields with nothing but the sound of wind and the occasional tractor to keep it company.

What you're looking at is a 14th-century survivor from the days when this corner of Suffolk was far busier than it is now. The chapel itself is small enough that you'll take in the interior in five minutes flat, but that's rather the point. There's no gift shop, no interpretation panels explaining what you're supposed to feel. Just old stone, old glass if you're lucky, and a genuine sense of stepping back about 600 years.

It's worth the detour if you're the sort who actually enjoys walking through fields to reach things. Families with young children might find the journey more irritating than rewarding - there's nothing to do once you arrive except look and think. Walkers heading out from nearby parks like Carlton Meres or Mill Hill Farm will find this makes a decent waypoint, though you'll need to check opening arrangements beforehand as access isn't always straightforward.

Go on a clear morning when the light hits the stonework properly. Bring binoculars if you're into ecclesiastical architecture - there's detail work worth examining. And accept that this is quiet, rural Suffolk at its most authentic. If that appeals, the visit pays for itself.