St Collen's Church, Llangollen

You'll find St Collen's Church tucked into a steep hillside above Llangollen, a small village that sits just over the border in Wales, near Wrexham. The walk up is proper steep - not dangerous, but your calves will know about it - and the payoff is a 6th-century church that actually feels like somewhere people have worshipped for over a thousand years rather than a museum piece.

The building itself is modest: whitewashed stone, narrow windows, a simple interior that's somehow more moving than any amount of Victorian grandeur. St Collen himself was a local saint, and there's a well named after him down the slope - folk used to believe the water had healing powers. Whether you buy into that or not, there's something quietly powerful about standing in a church that's been doing the same job since before the Norman conquest.

History buffs will get the most from a visit - the church rewards slow looking. Families with young children might find the steep approach frustrating and the interior a bit bare for a prolonged visit, though older kids interested in Welsh heritage will find it worthwhile. Allow an hour including the walk up and down.

It's free to visit, though opening hours aren't fixed - it's often left unlocked during daylight. The surrounding hillside is gorgeous for a ramble, and if you're staying at Foxtail Holiday Park just down the road, it makes an excellent morning outing before heading elsewhere around Wrexham.