St Laurence's Church

The church sits quietly on the edge of Scarborough, a proper medieval structure that stops you in your tracks if you're walking through the town. St Laurence's is one of those buildings that's been through the wringer - Victorian restorers got their hands on it, so what you're looking at now is a mix of genuine medieval stone and 19th-century tidying up. The inside is worth ten minutes of your time: decent stained glass, a solid stone font, and that particular smell old churches have that takes you somewhere else for a moment.

It's not a destination in itself, to be honest. You won't travel twenty miles to see it. But if you're staying at one of the campsites near Scarborough - Scarborough Camping and Caravanning Club is barely a mile away, or Prospect House Farm Glamping if you want something smarter - it's a decent rainy-afternoon diversion. Kids won't complain; churches are quick, they're free, and there's usually something to spot if you tell them to look for gargoyles or old graves.

Allow fifteen minutes inside, maybe another ten if you're the type to read every plaque. Entry appears to be free, though do check when you're there as these things change. Go when Scarborough itself isn't rammed - so not summer holidays. Spring or early autumn works well. The town's got the usual seaside stuff if you want it, but St Laurence's itself is a proper old-school visit: quiet, brief, and genuinely old.