Plympton St Mary

The church sits on a hill in Plympton, just inland from Plymouth, and it's worth the short drive if you're staying anywhere nearby. St Mary's is properly old - medieval work mixed with later additions, all done in that solid Devon stone that seems to get greyer the older it gets. Inside, there's decent medieval tracery in the windows and some genuinely interesting monuments to local worthies from centuries back. It's the kind of place where you can actually feel the weight of history without it being hammered into you.

You'll spend maybe thirty to forty minutes here if you're thorough, less if you're just popping in. It won't blow your mind if you're not a church enthusiast, but if you've got an afternoon and you're staying at one of the nearby glamping parks - Dartmoor Domes or Hidden Hill - it makes an easy addition to a walk around Plympton's older streets. The village itself has a decent pub or two, which is always useful.

Families with restless kids will find it quiet and peaceful, which cuts both ways. Older children interested in architecture will get something out of the monuments and the building itself. It's free, obviously, and you can visit pretty much any time you can find the door open - though Sunday mornings are the safest bet. If you're doing a broader tour of Plymouth's outlying villages, this slots in nicely without demanding much time or effort.