St James the Less

The church sits on a slight rise overlooking Bishop Auckland, which is handy because you'll spot it easily enough as you're driving through. St James the Less is a proper medieval affair - the sort of place where you half expect to bump into someone in chain mail round the next corner. The building itself deserves a proper look if you're into that sort of thing. Stone work, period features, the usual ecclesiastical trappings. It's not enormous or particularly famous, which actually works in its favour. You won't be fighting crowds.

The real appeal here is if you're doing a loose history loop around Bishop Auckland itself. The church complements a wander round the town without demanding hours of your time. Allow twenty minutes, perhaps thirty if you're the type who reads every plaque and inscription. Best visited on a weekday morning when it's actually peaceful rather than mid-afternoon when the tour groups descend.

Families with older kids won't find it tedious, though very young children might get restless. It's the sort of stop that works brilliantly if you're staying at Westgate Caravan & Camping Site five miles away and fancy something cultural without travelling far. Free entry, naturally. The real question isn't whether it's worth visiting - it's whether you've got time to stop while you're in the area. If you do, you'll be glad you did.