St Mary the Virgin, Parham

The church sits in Parham village just outside Wickham Market, and it's one of those places that rewards you for taking the tiny lane off the main road. St Mary the Virgin is a proper medieval parish church - we're talking 15th century, with all the stone work and stained glass you'd expect. The interior's surprisingly generous, with a good nave and some genuinely interesting monuments dotted about that tell the story of whoever mattered locally centuries back.

It's the sort of place that appeals most to anyone interested in old churches and English architectural history. If you're walking through rural Suffolk or staying at one of the nearby parks - Birds and Bees Campsite or Savage Glamping are both highly rated - this makes an easy morning diversion. Fair warning though: it's not an attraction in the theme-park sense. You're spending thirty minutes here, maybe forty if you're into deciphering medieval carvings. Kids will get restless unless they're genuinely interested in churches.

Access should be straightforward during daylight hours, though opening times aren't always predictable with rural churches, so don't plan your day around it. Free to visit, obviously. The real value is that it anchors a pleasant walk around Parham itself - there's nothing else drawing crowds here, which is exactly why it feels authentic. If you're camping in the area and want to see something genuinely old without the tourist infrastructure, this delivers.