St John the Baptist, Levisham

The church sits tucked into the steep valley of Levisham village, a proper whitewashed stone building that looks like it's been keeping watch over the North Yorkshire moorland since the 12th century. The churchyard slopes dramatically - you'll notice that straightaway - with gravestones angled at all sorts of angles thanks to the hillside. St John the Baptist itself is compact and unshowy, which is exactly what makes it worth a visit when you're exploring this corner of the Ryedale area near Pickering.

Inside, there's genuine medieval work: a Norman font, timber roof beams that creak with age, and the kind of quiet that only proper old churches have. The windows aren't spectacular, but the light coming through them onto the stone floor feels earned somehow. You'll spend thirty minutes here at most, which means it pairs nicely with a walk around the village or a ramble up onto the moors.

Historically-minded visitors and church crawlers will find this one satisfying - it's the real thing, not restored within an inch of its life. Families passing through won't complain about the walk down from the car, though younger kids might find the interior a touch austere. The churchyard itself is lovely for a breather, and the views across the valley remind you why anyone would bother building a stone church up here in the first place.

If you're staying at Lakeside Caravan Park or Swallowtails just a few miles south, this is a logical morning detour before heading into Pickering itself. Free to visit, naturally.