Our Lady Of Mount Carmel Church & Shrine of St Jude

The church sits just outside Faversham, a modest brick building that announces itself with a proper Catholic chapel feel rather than the grand stone churches you'd expect elsewhere in Kent. Inside, the Shrine of St Jude takes centre stage - patron saint of hopeless causes, which explains why it draws a steady stream of visitors with their own quiet prayers and requests.

It's a working parish church first, shrine second. The atmosphere is genuinely contemplative rather than touristy, which means you won't find gift shops or visitor centres. What you get instead is a space where people come for real reasons - devotion, reflection, or simply to light a candle. If you're after ecclesiastical architecture or religious history, this won't set your pulse racing. But if you appreciate authentic, lived-in spirituality without the crowd management, it's worth the short detour from Faversham town centre.

Allow yourself twenty minutes, maybe longer if you sit quietly. Best visited mid-week when it's peaceful rather than during Sunday services. Admission is free, naturally.

If you're based at one of the nearby holiday parks - Painters Farm is closest at under two miles - this works as a gentle morning outing before heading to the coast at Seasalter or exploring Faversham's proper high street. Don't expect it to fill half a day, but as a pocket of calm during a Kent break, it serves its purpose well.