Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church

You'll spot the spire long before you reach Porthcawl town centre - that's Our Lady Star of the Sea, a proper Victorian Catholic church that sits with real presence on the townscape. It's not the sort of place you'd stumble into by accident unless you were already wandering the streets, but if you're staying at Trecco Bay Holiday Park just down the road, it's worth a 15-minute stroll to have a look.

The church itself is a solid piece of 19th-century architecture, the kind of building that tells you something about the faith and commitment of whoever built it in a town that was still finding its feet as a seaside resort. Inside, it's quiet and respectful - the usual Catholic trimmings you'd expect, nothing wildly ornate, but genuine. It's the sort of place that works best if you're actually interested in church architecture or have a genuine reason to be there, rather than as a tick-box tourist attraction.

For a family holiday, this is genuinely more of a rainy afternoon escape than a headline draw. History buffs and those keen on Victorian religious buildings will find it worthwhile. It's free to pop in, and you can take as long as you like - realistically ten minutes to half an hour will give you the full picture. If you're based at Trecco Bay and have time to kill between beach visits, it's a solid way to spend part of an hour. But don't rearrange your itinerary for it.