St Mary Magdalen's Church

The stone walls of St Mary Magdalen's Church stand grey and weathered on the outskirts of Peterlee, a working church that hasn't been polished into submission by the heritage industry. What strikes you first is how genuinely local it feels - no visitor centre, no gift shop, just a proper community church that's been here doing its job for centuries.

Inside, you'll find the usual mix of Victorian restoration and older bones underneath. The windows are decent without being spectacular, the pews worn smooth by actual use rather than tourist shuffling. It's the sort of place where you spend twenty minutes looking at memorials and thinking about the lives layered into the stonework, then you're done.

This works best for people who actually enjoy old churches rather than those ticking them off a list. If you're staying at The Barn at Easington nearby, it's worth a quiet morning visit before heading to the coast - Peterlee itself isn't the most thrilling town, but the church sits reasonably on the edge of things and won't eat up your holiday time.

Check with Peterlee tourist information for opening times, as independent churches can be tricky about access. Free to enter, no faffing about.