Saint Mary's

The church sits quietly in Gillingham, just east of Beccles, and you'll find it's one of those Norfolk-Suffolk border spaces where time feels a bit stuck. Saint Mary's is a working parish church - proper medieval, with that warm flint and stone exterior you see dotted across East Anglia. Inside, there's genuine character: timber roof work, stained glass that catches the light properly, and the kind of peaceful cold that only old churches manage.

It's the sort of place walkers stumble upon mid-ramble rather than plan a trip around, but that's partly what makes it good. No tourist crowds, no gift shop nonsense. The churchyard's worth a wander too - older gravestones, some local history buried there literally. Allow twenty minutes, maybe thirty if you're the type to sit and soak it in.

If you're based at one of the nearby parks - Dawn Chorus Holidays is only 2.5 miles away with those glamorous safari tents and shepherd huts, or Kings Forest if you prefer traditional caravanning - this makes a natural stop on a morning walk. It's free to enter, which matters when you're on a budget holiday. The real appeal is that it feels lived-in and genuine, not preserved like a museum. Come when it's not peak tourist season and you'll practically have it to yourself. Worth the detour if you're staying locally, though don't expect anything flashy.