Saint John of Beverley Catholic Church

The moment you walk into Saint John of Beverley, you're struck by the sheer scale of the place. This isn't some modest parish church - it's a proper cathedral, all soaring stone and light flooding through medieval windows. The building dominates Beverley's town centre, and for good reason. It's been standing here since the 13th century, though there's been a church on this spot since the 8th century when Saint John himself was buried here.

Inside, the craftsmanship stops you cold. The choir stalls are intricately carved, the tombs scattered about tell stories of Yorkshire's medieval bigwigs, and the ribbed vaulting overhead is the kind of thing that makes you crane your neck like a tourist even if you've seen a hundred churches. The Percy tomb is particularly fine - proper decorative work.

Walking around takes a good hour if you're actually looking at things rather than just passing through. History buffs will want longer. Kids might manage 30 minutes before the lack of interactive anything becomes tedious. It's free to enter, which is generous given what you're looking at.

If you're staying at Butt Farm or Cherry Burton just down the road, or fancying the top-rated High Farm up near Driffield, a morning in Beverley wandering this church makes sense. The town itself has a proper marketplace and some decent pubs for lunch afterwards. Worth timing your holiday to include it.