St Lawrence's Church

The church sits on a gentle slope above Appleby-in-Westmorland's high street, its tower visible from most of the town centre. St Lawrence's is a proper medieval affair, the kind of place where you can actually feel the centuries pressing down on the stonework. Inside, the light hits differently depending on the time of day - morning sun through the eastern windows is particularly good if you're after photographs.

This isn't a museum church full of roped-off reliquaries and gift shop nonsense. It's a working parish church, which means it's genuinely quiet and contemplative. The nave's got decent proportions without being cavernous, and there are enough monuments and brasses to keep history types occupied for a proper half-hour if they're thorough. Most visitors spend twenty minutes here, though you could easily spend longer if the church is open and you're the reflective sort.

Worth combining with a walk around Appleby's high street - the town's compact and pleasant, with decent tea options. If you're staying at one of the nearby parks like Wild Rose or the more glamorous Howdy, this is a natural extension to an afternoon out rather than a destination in itself. The church tower is quite something from the outside, especially if you catch it from the castle grounds just across the way.

Free to enter, as far as most English parish churches go. Check locally about opening hours before you visit - they're sensible but variable.