St Michael & St Martin Church

The church sits quietly just off the high street in Walton-on-Thames, easy to walk past if you're not paying attention. St Michael & St Martin is a proper medieval building with enough character to justify a half-hour detour, especially if you're staying at the Camping and Caravanning Club Site nearby.

Inside, you'll find the sort of details that make old churches worth visiting: timber-beamed ceilings, some decent stained glass, and that particular smell of old stone and candle wax. The font's worth a look if you're into that sort of thing. It's not jaw-dropping architecture, but it tells you something about how Walton has stood for centuries while everything else got rebuilt around it.

You don't need to spend long here - thirty minutes maximum unless you're genuinely into ecclesiastical history. Best approach it as a break from a walk rather than a destination in itself. The churchyard's pleasant enough, though it can feel a bit hemmed in by the town nowadays.

Families with young kids might find it a bit quiet and static, but if you've got teenagers who actually tolerate historical buildings, or you're a walker passing through, it's worth stepping inside. Free to visit, no faffing about with opening times to worry about - that's the main appeal. Pairs well with a proper walk along the Thames path if you're based at the caravan site.