St John the Baptist's Church, Collingham

The moment you walk through the lychgate at St John the Baptist's in Collingham, you're stepping into seven centuries of English parish life. This is proper medieval stuff - the church itself dates back to the 13th century, though what you see today is a fair bit of Victorian tidying up mixed in with genuine old stonework.

Inside, the light streams through the windows in that particular way only old churches manage. There's a decent selection of brasses and monuments if you're into that sort of thing, and the chancel's worth a proper look. It's the kind of place where you can spend twenty minutes or two hours depending on how much you want to read the plaques and sit quietly on the pews.

This works best if you're already exploring the villages around Newark - Collingham's only a few miles out, so it slots nicely into a morning's walk if you're based at Milestone Caravan Park nearby. The church itself won't hold your attention for hours, but it's exactly the sort of stop that makes a caravan holiday feel less like you're just sitting in a field and more like you're actually discovering somewhere. Four Seasons Country Park's a touch further afield, but worth combining with a broader look around the area.

Parkland surrounds it, and the village itself is quiet - you can usually get in without fuss, though you might want to check locally if there's a service on. Families with older kids who like a bit of history will appreciate it more than younger ones.