St Bartholomew's & St John's C Of E Church

The twin churches of St Bartholomew's and St John's sit quietly on the edge of Clitheroe, a pair of stone structures that most visitors drive straight past. They're worth stopping for, though, particularly if you're staying at the Camping and Caravanning Club site nearby and fancy a proper walk into town.

What you're actually looking at are two separate buildings from different periods - St Bartholomew's is the older one, medieval stonework and all, while St John's is the Victorian replacement for when the original got too cramped. The contrast between them is genuinely interesting. You get decent views across the Ribble Valley from the churchyard, and there's something calming about lingering among the gravestones while tour buses rumble past on the main road.

Historians will find the architectural detail worth examining, especially inside St Bartholomew's where you can spot the original masonry and capitals. It's not a destination in itself - you're not going to spend more than forty minutes here unless you're really into ecclesiastical stonework - but it fits perfectly into a morning ramble from Clitheroe town centre.

Getting there is straightforward: walk south from Clitheroe's market square and you'll find it without difficulty. Access should be free, though you'll want to check locally as opening times aren't always reliable for smaller churches. Best visited on a weekday morning when the churchyard isn't busy and you can actually hear yourself think.