Ruins of St John's, Boughton

The crumbling walls of St John's stand in quiet isolation near Boughton, just a handful of miles from Northampton - a proper slice of medieval England that feels genuinely forgotten. What you're looking at are the remains of a 13th-century church, and there's something rather moving about how nature's gradually reclaimed it. The stonework still shows craftsmanship, even in ruins, and on a clear day you can make out the arch windows that once let light flood across the nave.

This is one for walkers and history types rather than families seeking theme park thrills. There's no visitor centre, no cafe, no queue - just you and four centuries of slow decay. The site's free to wander, though you'll need to check locally whether access restrictions apply, as these things can change. Allow half an hour if you're thorough, less if you're just passing through.

If you're camping at Moon Valley Glamping Retreat down the road, St John's makes a decent leg-stretch detour without eating into a whole afternoon. It's the sort of place that appeals more in autumn when mist hangs around the stones, rather than high summer when the appeal's more limited. Worth a look if you're in the area, but don't travel specially from elsewhere.