St Martin's

St Martin's sits in Lynton, a small Devon village that clings to the cliffs above the Bristol Channel. It's a proper old church - the sort of place where you can feel the weight of centuries the moment you walk through the door. The building itself is understated rather than grand, which somehow makes it more affecting than if it had been dripping in Victorian restoration.

What draws people here is partly the architecture - medieval bones with various layers added over the centuries - but mostly it's the atmosphere. There's something about standing in a church this old, in a village this remote, that makes you stop and actually think. The views from the churchyard aren't bad either, looking out over the coast.

It's the sort of place history buffs and church architecture enthusiasts will linger over for an hour or two. Families with restless kids won't find much to occupy them beyond twenty minutes, if that. But if you're based at Lynmouth Holiday Retreat or one of the other parks in the area, it's absolutely worth the short walk up into the village centre.

The real value is that it slots perfectly into a coastal holiday along this stretch. You can combine it with walks down to Lynmouth harbour, the cliff-path routes, or simply wandering the narrow streets of Lynton itself. No huge queues, no entry fees that I'm aware of, and it opens whenever a small village church normally does. Go on a quiet weekday morning if you want the place to yourself.