St Giles, Northleigh

The little Church of St Giles sits quietly in Northleigh, a village that feels properly off the beaten track despite being only a few miles inland from Sidmouth. It's a medieval building, the sort of place where you half expect the vicar to appear in a cassock from 1952, all dark wood and the smell of old stone.

What you get here is straightforward - a working parish church with genuine medieval bones. The nave's the main event, with its original timber roof and the kind of worn stone flags that tell you centuries of feet have been through that door. There's stained glass, some decent monuments, and the quiet that only comes in churches when you're the only visitor.

It's worth stopping if you're walking the lanes around Sidmouth or basing yourself at Beer Head Holiday Park nearby. But don't expect an hour here - twenty minutes will see you through unless you're properly into church architecture. The real appeal is the sense of place: this is village Devon as it's been for 500 years, no gift shop, no interpretation panels, just a church doing what churches do.

Take sensible shoes if the churchyard's wet - the path can be muddy. Opening times are standard for a country church, so check ahead, and admission's free. Families with young children will find it a bit quiet, but walkers exploring the lanes around Northleigh will appreciate the diversion.