St Michael at the North Gate

Standing at the intersection of Cornmarket Street and Catte Street, this Saxon tower dominates Oxford's skyline in a way most visitors don't expect. St Michael at the North Gate is actually two things - the medieval church itself, squat and serious, and the tower that rises above it with proper purpose. You can climb the 99 steps if the mood takes you, though fair warning: it's cramped and the spiral gets properly intense. The reward at the top is a view of Oxford's dreaming spires that beats most postcards, which is saying something for a city drowning in them.

Historically, this place deserves serious respect. It's Oxford's oldest parish church, with Saxon foundations beneath the Norman tower. During the English Civil War it served as a prison - Oliver Cromwell's lot held Royalist prisoners here, which adds a layer of tension when you're standing in the vestry. The interior is intimate rather than grand, with enough medieval bits and bobs to keep history types properly engaged for twenty minutes or so.

It's free to look around, though donations are requested - proper form, really. The climb isn't for anyone with dodgy knees, and it's dead boring for kids under ten unless they're genuinely interested in old stones and slightly gothic atmosphere.

Combine it with a wander through the Covered Market and a coffee run between the colleges - Oxford's compact enough that St Michael slots naturally into any city walk. Most of the nearby caravan parks like Cedar Hollow and Green Acres are within three miles, making it an easy pop-in stop on a Cotswold holiday base.