St Mary's Church, Ashby Folville

The church sits in the middle of nowhere, really - one of those village centres that has essentially vanished around it. St Mary's is a proper medieval structure, with enough architectural merit to justify the detour if you're into that sort of thing. The tower catches your eye first, solid and unapologetic against the Leicestershire sky. Inside, the proportions are what matter: a genuine sense of age, the kind of quiet that only happens when a building has stood for centuries without fuss.

It's a working parish church rather than a museum piece, which means opening times depend entirely on the vicar's schedule and local practice. Worth a phone call to Leicester for details before you commit to the drive. History enthusiasts will find themselves doing sums about medieval masonry and the village's vanished population. Everyone else might spend twenty minutes max, which is fine - sometimes that's enough.

The surrounding villages are properly rural, so St Mary's works best as part of a broader day out rather than a standalone stop. If you're based at Eye Kettleby Lakes or Frisby Lakes Lodge Park for a camping holiday in the area, you're close enough for a morning walk past the church before heading to the main attractions around Leicester. It won't blow your mind, but it's the kind of place that makes a day feel like you've actually found something rather than just ticked boxes.