St Deiniol's Church

The churchyard at St Deiniol's sits quiet and proper on the outskirts of Bala, a place where you can actually hear yourself think. The church itself is medieval - all sturdy stone and narrow windows - and it carries the weight of centuries without making a fuss about it. Inside, there's that particular smell of old wood and stone that you either find peaceful or slightly oppressive, depending on your mood.

This isn't a showstopper attraction. You won't spend hours here, and you shouldn't expect elaborate monuments or theatrical guides. What you get is genuine. The churchyard's worth a wander if you're staying nearby at Tyn Cornel Camping - it's less than seven miles away - and gives you a proper sense of what rural Welsh life has looked like for the past few centuries. Walkers and history types will appreciate the walk out to it more than families with restless kids. There's no visitor centre, no facilities, just the church and the graves and the Gwynedd landscape rolling away.

Go early in the day if you can, when you've got the place to yourself. Summer mornings are best. Check locally in Bala whether it's open during the week - these smaller churches keep inconsistent hours - but the churchyard itself is always accessible. It's the kind of stop that takes twenty minutes and costs nothing, fitting nicely into a morning before you head elsewhere in the area.