St Matthew's Church, Boughton

The church sits quietly in Boughton village, just a couple of miles from Newark - one of those solid stone buildings that's been watching over the same patch of Nottinghamshire for centuries. St Matthew's has the kind of modest charm that rewards a proper look: decent medieval bones, a decent chancel, and the sort of churchyard where you can actually think for five minutes without someone trying to sell you something.

Walking the grounds takes maybe twenty minutes if you're unhurried. Inside, there's enough architectural interest to keep history types occupied - the sort of detail work that makes you realise just how much care went into building places like this. It's free to visit, though hours aren't widely advertised, so calling ahead makes sense if you're planning a specific trip.

For a park holiday in the area - and you've got Sherwood Hideaway and Sherwood Castle Holiday Forest both within a couple of miles - this works as a decent leg-stretcher between camp and Newark town centre. The walk from The Sherwood Hideaway is completely manageable, and Boughton itself is proper rural; no queues, no gift shop, just a church doing what it's always done. Kids under ten might find it brief, but anyone with an interest in local history or just wanting a quiet twenty minutes away from holiday park life will find it worthwhile. Don't expect a major attraction, but that's rather the point.