Our Lady & St Philip Neri

The red-brick Victorian church sits quietly on the edge of Newmarket, a proper working parish church rather than a museum piece. Our Lady & St Philip Neri is Roman Catholic - built in the 1880s when the faith was quietly spreading through English market towns - and it's the kind of place where you'll find locals actually praying rather than tourists photographing the stonework.

Inside, the interior is restful rather than showy. High ceilings, decent stained glass, and that particular hush that only older churches manage. It's not wildly ornate by Catholic standards, which somehow makes it more appealing - honest architecture without the gilt.

The church works best as a stop if you're already exploring Newmarket itself, perhaps visiting the racing stables or the horse museum. It won't eat much time - twenty minutes is plenty unless you're the type to sit and absorb the atmosphere. Not one for kids unless they're genuinely interested in church architecture, which, let's be fair, most aren't.

If you're staying at Piggles Retreat nearby, this is a short drive into town and a decent way to break up a park holiday with something a touch different from the usual attractions. Worth a quick visit if you're in the area, though don't plan a journey specifically for it. Newmarket itself - the horse racing, the stud farms, the training grounds - that's what brings most people here.