St Columba

The church sits on a quiet corner near Thirsk, unremarkable from the road until you step inside. St Columba is one of those solid Yorkshire parish churches that doesn't shout about itself but rewards a proper look around. You'll find the usual mix of Victorian restoration and medieval bones - the sort of building that's been added to, knocked about, and repaired by successive generations of locals who actually needed the place to work.

It's worth twenty minutes if you're passing through, longer if you're into church architecture or local history. The interior is straightforward rather than grand, which is precisely what you want from a working village church. Walkers exploring the Thirsk area will find it a reasonable stop-off point, though don't expect the drama you'd get from a cathedral town.

If you're staying at Woodland Lakes Lodges or Riverside Meadows Caravan Park nearby, it's a gentle walk or short drive. Riverside Meadows particularly - with its strong reviews - sits close enough that you could combine a visit here with exploring the villages dotted around the area. The best approach is to treat it as part of a wider ramble rather than a destination in itself. Go when you're already in Thirsk for lunch or shopping, not as the main event of your day. Churches in this part of Yorkshire tend to be most atmospheric on weekday mornings when there's actually silence in them.