St Mary Church, Elsing

The church sits quietly on the edge of Elsing, a village east of Bylaugh that most people drive straight through without noticing. St Mary is a proper medieval church - 14th century mostly - and it's the kind of place that rewards you for stopping rather than driving past.

You're looking at some genuinely fine stonework here. The tower's a landmark you can spot from miles around, and inside there's actual brass work that dates back centuries. The brasses are what draw the serious architecture enthusiasts - they're well preserved and genuinely interesting if you care about that sort of thing.

It's a working parish church, so opening times depend on who's about. Worth ringing ahead or trying the door on a weekend, really. No entrance fee that I'm aware of, which is refreshing.

Historically-minded types will get more out of this than casual visitors, but it's never going to take you hours. Twenty minutes to half an hour to have a proper look, maybe longer if you're studying the brasses. The real value is if you're doing a Norfolk church crawl - there are dozens of them dotted about, and Elsing's one of the better ones.

If you're based at Bylaugh Country Park Caravan and Campsite just down the road, it's barely a detour. Combine it with a walk around the village and you've got a pleasant hour sorted.