Saint Giles

Saint Giles sits in Colby, a small village just east of Norwich, and it's one of those Norfolk churches that catches you off guard with how much character it's packed into a modest frame. The building itself is 14th-century, which means you're looking at proper medieval stonework - flint and stone walls that have watched Norwich grow from a market town into a city. Inside, there's a font that's even older than the church itself, Saxon work from around 1000 AD, and the kind of quiet that only old churches manage.

Historians and architecture buffs will find plenty to poke around. The chancel has some decent medieval detail work, and there's something oddly moving about these small rural churches - they lack the grandeur of city cathedrals but feel more lived-in somehow. If you're the sort who enjoys church hunting, this fits neatly into a Norfolk weekend.

It's free to visit, though hours seem flexible - best to check ahead or try your luck. The real value comes if you're already in the area, perhaps based at Woodland Holiday Park five miles away, rather than making a special journey. Give it 20 minutes, 30 if you're genuinely into ecclesiastical history. The walk around Colby village afterward is pleasant enough on a decent day. Not a showstopper on its own, but if you're staying nearby and fancy a gentle afternoon of Norfolk church-spotting, it deserves an hour's detour.