St Mary's Church, Sandbach

The twin red sandstone crosses that dominate Sandbach's market square aren't what you'd expect to find in the middle of a Cheshire town - yet there they've stood since Saxon times, towering over the cobbled square like something from another era entirely. St Mary's Church sits just beyond them, a Grade I listed building that's been the spiritual heart of this place since the 12th century, though what you see today is largely Victorian restoration work done with Victorian certainty.

Inside, it's all soaring perpendicular arches and that particular kind of peace you only get in old churches on quiet afternoons. The woodwork is genuinely good - carved bench ends and a screen that rewards close inspection. It's the sort of place where you could spend twenty minutes properly or breeze through in five, depending on how much you fancy getting lost in the architectural details.

History types will eat this up, particularly anyone interested in how Cheshire's industrial past butts up against its medieval roots. Families with older children might appreciate the crosses in the square more than the interior - they're proper impressive and free to gawk at. Worth a visit if you're based at Yellowstone Camping nearby or Tipsy Tree Glamping a bit further out, especially combined with a wander around the market town itself. No charge to get in, no faffing about with opening hours - just turn up and have a look. Budget half an hour maximum unless you're really into ecclesiastical architecture.