Our Lady and St Patrick's R C Church, Oldham

The Victorian Gothic facade of Our Lady and St Patrick's catches you straight away - all red brick and stone detailing, rather grand for a Lancashire mill town. It's the kind of church that speaks to Oldham's industrial heyday, when the cotton trade had proper money flowing through.

Inside, you've got ornate plasterwork, stained glass that actually rewards a closer look, and the sort of peaceful atmosphere you don't get in the shopping centre down the road. The craftsmanship is genuinely impressive if you're into Victorian ecclesiastical architecture. It's not a showstopper like some medieval cathedrals, but it tells you something real about 19th-century Catholic communities in the northwest.

This works best for architecture enthusiasts or anyone with a genuine interest in religious history. Kids might find it a bit too quiet unless they're already inclined that way. You'll spend twenty minutes to half an hour inside, longer if you're studying the detail.

Being in Oldham puts you close to the moorland around Greenfield, and Dovestone Holiday Park is only a few miles off - a decent base if you're combining church visits with walks on the hills. The church sits in the town centre, so you can easily combine it with a walk around the local streets or a pint afterwards. Free to enter, worth a quick visit if you're passing through, but don't go out of your way unless Victorian churches are genuinely your thing.