St Margaret's Church, Oxford

Walking up to St Margaret's Church in Oxford, you're immediately struck by how genuinely medieval the place feels. This is a proper working parish church, not some museum piece roped off for tourists - which is either refreshing or slightly awkward depending on your tolerance for stumbling through someone's Sunday service.

The church itself dates back to the 12th century, though it's been rebuilt and fiddled with constantly over the centuries, as medieval churches tend to be. Inside, there's some decent stained glass, a few monuments that hint at Oxford's scholarly past, and that particular smell every old English church has - damp stone, old wood, centuries of candle wax.

It's genuinely worth a look if you're already exploring central Oxford, maybe on your way between the colleges or the market. Give it twenty minutes, half an hour if you're the sort who reads every plaque. Kids will probably find it boring unless they're into that sort of thing. The real appeal is that it's authentic - no gift shop, no entry fee drama, just a church that's been doing its job for nine hundred years.

If you're staying at Greenhill Leisure Park six miles south, you're well placed for Oxford's attractions. St Margaret's makes a natural stop on a wander through the medieval streets, though honestly the cathedral and the college chapels will probably feel more impressive if you've limited time.