St. Mary the Virgin Church, Longcot

The churchyard at Longcot sits quietly off the main road between Faringdon and Shrivenham, and if you're not looking for it, you'll sail straight past. St. Mary the Virgin is a proper village church - the sort that's been standing for centuries while the world changes around it. The building itself dates back to medieval times, with that solid, no-nonsense architecture you find across the Cotswolds, and the interior rewards a closer look if you're into church architecture and brass rubbings.

It's the kind of place walkers stumble upon by accident and then can't quite believe they'd never noticed before. The churchyard is peaceful in that way only old country graveyards can be, with mature trees and a real sense of time having actually meant something here. You're not looking at an hour-long visit - more like twenty minutes to half an hour, unless you're genuinely fascinated by medieval stonework or local history.

If you're based at Faringdon Grange just down the road, or camped at The Real Campsite or Evelyns Garden Glamping slightly further out, this is worth a gentle detour on a country walk. It won't be the highlight of your trip, but that's rather the point - these quiet churches are the bits that make the Oxfordshire countryside actually feel like somewhere worth spending time. No faffing about with opening hours either; it's the kind of place you just turn up to. Free admission, naturally.