Saint Mary's Church

The interior stops you dead the moment you step inside. Saint Mary's in Warwick is one of those churches that justifies a detour, partly because it's genuinely stunning and partly because most people just walk past it without realising what they're missing. The chancel is properly magnificent - soaring perpendicular Gothic work that draws your eye up and keeps it there. You get the sense this place was built by people who knew what they were doing.

What makes it worth your time isn't just the architecture, though that's reason enough. The tombs are extraordinary. There's the Beauchamp Chapel, which is frankly one of the finest pieces of late medieval craftsmanship you'll see anywhere. The brass effigies and sculptural work are so detailed you could stand there for an hour just picking out individual flourishes. History buffs will be in their element here.

Families with older kids do fine - the sheer scale of the place keeps them interested, and if they're studying medieval history they'll actually remember it afterwards. Younger ones might struggle with the length of a proper look around. Allow a solid hour if you want to actually absorb it rather than just tick it off.

It sits right in Warwick town centre, so works brilliantly as a stop between the castle and lunch. If you're based at Tinywood Homes or Lairhillock Park for a holiday in the area, this is genuinely worth the short drive. The town itself is compact enough to tackle in half a day, and the church is the highlight.