St Pancras, Pancrasweek

The church sits quietly in Pancrasweek village, a few miles inland from Bude, and it's one of those places that makes you realise Cornwall's full of proper medieval gems if you know where to look. St Pancras is 15th-century, with a decent tower and the kind of interior that rewards a proper poke around - think carved bench ends, an old font, and that particular smell of centuries that no amount of cleaning shifts.

It's not a showstopper like some of the bigger coastal churches, but that's rather the point. You'll likely have the place to yourself, which means you can actually sit down and think instead of shuffling around behind a coach party. The churchyard's peaceful too, worth a wander if you've got five minutes.

Historians and church enthusiasts will get the most from it - those who tick off medieval parish churches across the county. Families with young kids might find fifteen minutes enough unless they're really into that sort of thing. It's free to visit, and you can usually just push the door open during daylight hours.

If you're staying at Wooda Farm Holiday Park or Atlantic Surf Pods nearby, it's an easy detour on a quiet drive inland from Bude. Combine it with a proper walk or a beach trip rather than making it a destination in itself. The real value's in the drive through proper Cornish countryside to get there.