St. Mary Church

The church sits on the high street in Retford, a solid stone structure that's been anchoring the town centre since medieval times. Inside, it's all vaulted ceilings and that particular smell churches have - old wood and stone dust and something indefinably timeless. The interior is more generous than you'd expect from the outside, with decent stained glass and enough architectural detail to keep anyone interested for twenty minutes or so.

It's the sort of place that works well if you're already in Retford wandering around rather than a dedicated pilgrimage destination. That said, if you're staying at Trentfield Farm just down the road, popping into St. Mary for a quiet half-hour makes sense. The town itself has decent enough shops and cafes if you're combining a church visit with something else. Kids won't spend long here unless they're genuinely into old buildings, but it's free to wander in and there's usually someone about to tell you what you're looking at. Best visited on a weekday morning when it's peaceful and you're not competing with tourist groups. Allow thirty minutes maximum unless you're a serious medieval architecture enthusiast.