St Gregory's Church

The walk down to St Gregory's Church from Seaton takes you through proper Devon countryside - rolling fields, hedgerows thick with birds, the whole works. When you arrive, it's immediately clear why someone planted a church here in the 14th century. The building itself is modest, all weathered stone and a small tower that's somehow managed to stay upright through five hundred years of Atlantic gales.

Inside, there's stained glass worth looking at and the sort of silence you don't get anywhere else. If you're into medieval churches, you'll spend a good twenty minutes poking around the memorials and stone work. Families with younger kids might find it quiet enough that they start fidgeting after five or ten minutes - it's not a destination in itself so much as a decent reason for a walk if you're based nearby.

It's free to visit, which is proper good form. If you're staying at Beer Head Holiday Park, it's a straightforward 1.7 miles down country lanes - easily manageable as a morning outing. From Oakdown, further out toward Colyton, it's a bit more of a trek at just under five miles, but still doable for walkers who don't mind a decent ramble.

The real value here is the walk itself and the quiet. Come on a weekday morning to avoid the Seaton day-trippers, bring a decent map, and factor in time to actually look at the village. It's the sort of place that rewards slowing down.