St Augustine Church, Heanton Punchardon

The church sits on a quiet lane between Ilfracombe and Braunton, easy to miss if you're not looking. St Augustine's is one of those solid Devon parish churches that tells you more about local life than any museum could - medieval stonework, a good roof, the sort of place where generations of farming families got married and buried.

Inside, you get proper old-school church atmosphere. The architecture is honest rather than showy, and there's a real sense of this being a living place of worship rather than a heritage attraction. If you're into ecclesiastical detail - carved bench ends, fonts, that sort of thing - there's plenty to study. Most visitors spend 20 to 30 minutes having a look around.

It's free to visit, though opening times aren't always predictable with smaller country churches. Best bet is to call ahead or catch it on a weekday afternoon. The real appeal here is for people who enjoy wandering rural Devon and poking into its architectural corners. Families with young kids might find it a bit quiet, but anyone spending a week at one of the nearby parks around Ilfracombe and Woolacombe - Hidden Valley, Ruda, or Woolacombe Sands - would find this a decent 15-minute detour while exploring the lanes between Braunton and the coast.

Worth stopping if you're in the area. Don't plan a special trip just for this one, mind you.