St Mary's Church Earl Stonham

The church sits quietly in Earl Stonham village, just east of Stowmarket, and it's one of those places that rewards the detour if you've got even a passing interest in medieval Suffolk. St Mary's is a proper 14th-century building with a round tower - those are rarer than you'd think in England - and the kind of flintwork detail that makes you understand why people bothered to build churches this carefully centuries ago.

Inside, there's decent medieval woodwork and the sort of peaceful atmosphere you only get in country churches that haven't been swallowed up by suburbia. It's not going to take you more than twenty minutes to have a proper look round, so don't expect a full morning here. The real appeal is the walk through the village itself - properly rural, no tourist nonsense - and knowing you've actually seen something most people drive past without noticing.

This works well if you're based at Goldings or Stonham Barns, both within easy reach. Combine it with a wander around the quieter bits of mid-Suffolk, or pair it with somewhere meatier like Helmingham Hall if you want a fuller day out. Free to visit, obviously - it's a working parish church. Go midweek if you can; weekends bring the occasional wedding party. The walk from Stowmarket takes about thirty minutes if you're keen on stretching your legs.