St Giles' Church

The tower of St Giles' Church rises above the streets of Cambridge with a kind of understated authority. It's one of those medieval churches that locals walk past without a second glance, but it rewards the visitor who actually stops and looks properly. The building dates back to the 14th century, though it's been modified and restored more times than you could count. Inside, there's decent perpendicular tracery in the windows and a few monuments worth examining if you're into that sort of thing.

This isn't a destination on its own - it's a twenty-minute wander from the market square, and you'd be mad to make a special trip. But if you're based at one of the caravan sites within a few miles - Cherry Hinton, the Camping and Caravanning Club Site, or Highfield Farm - it's exactly the kind of church that fills a rainy afternoon or a quiet morning before heading into the main colleges. History types will appreciate the tracery and the medieval bones of the place. Families with restless kids will find it small enough not to test their patience for long.

Free to enter, no particular opening hours to worry about as far as anyone knows. Allow perhaps thirty minutes if you're thorough, fifteen if you're just poking your head round the door. The real appeal is using it as an anchor point for exploring this quieter side of Cambridge - the bits that don't appear in the postcard stands.