St Alban

The church sits right at the heart of Okehampton, a proper medieval affair that's been anchoring this market town for centuries. St Alban's is worth an hour of your time if you're passing through - the interior has some genuinely nice features, particularly if you're into ecclesiastical architecture and the kind of quiet contemplation that comes from stepping into somewhere this old.

The stone itself tells you the story: this is Devon granite doing what Devon granite does best, solid and unapologetic. You'll find yourself looking up more than you'd expect, at the roof timbers and whatever Victorian restoration work came along. The windows are decent enough, though not spectacularly grand - this is a working parish church, not some lavish cathedral.

It's the sort of place that makes sense if you're already in town picking up supplies or browsing Okehampton's high street. You won't travel specifically for it, but it's free to pop in and genuinely quieter than you'd think for somewhere so central. Families with younger kids might find it dull unless they're already interested in old buildings - there's not much to do, just things to look at.

If you're staying nearby, Wolf Wood Treehouses is only a few miles out, so you could easily combine a morning wander round town with the church visit. Best time is mid-morning on a weekday when you've got the place nearly to yourself.