St James Church Bourton

The stone church sits quietly at the heart of Bourton village, a proper working parish church that's been doing its job for centuries. Inside, there's decent medieval stonework and the sort of atmospheric light you only get in old churches - shafts of it coming through the windows onto the flagged floor. It's not a showstopper like some of the bigger Oxfordshire churches, but that's rather the point. You get a genuine feel for how these places actually function.

This isn't a destination in itself, but if you're based at one of the nearby parks - Faringdon Grange is less than five miles away - it's worth a 20-minute potter round the churchyard and a look inside. History buffs will find the usual interest in monuments and architecture; families with restless kids won't find much to occupy them beyond ten minutes. The village itself is small and quiet, which means parking is rarely an issue and there's barely a queue for anything.

Call ahead if you're making a special trip, as opening hours can be variable. The churchyard's worth a wander regardless - proper old graves, some interesting stones. If you're doing the broader Oxfordshire circuit, combine it with a visit to Botswicky Copse nearby for a bit of woodland walking. The Cotswold stone villages in this area reward slow exploration, and St James fits neatly into that kind of unhurried day out.