St Peter and All Souls Catholic Church

The red brick Victorian façade of St Peter and All Souls hits you first as you walk into Peterborough - solid, unapologetic, unmistakably 19th century. This is a proper working Catholic church, not a museum piece, and that's what makes it worth a visit if you're in the area.

Inside, the architecture does what good church design should: it slows you down. The nave is generous without being cavernous, and there's real attention paid to the decorative details - stained glass that actually catches the light properly, ironwork that suggests someone cared about the craft. It's not the theatrical grandeur of a medieval cathedral, but it's honest work from the Victorian era when Catholics were finally building openly in England again.

The church sits within easy reach of both Ferry Meadows and Nene Outdoors if you're basing yourselves at either campsite - both are under three miles away. It's the sort of thing you might pop into while you're exploring Peterborough itself, rather than a reason to plan your entire day around. Families with older children who can sit still for twenty minutes will get more from it than toddlers. History enthusiasts will appreciate the context - this was built when English Catholicism was finding its feet again after centuries of suppression.

There's no charge for entry that I can establish, and you can usually slip in during daylight hours, though it's working parish, so do check service times if you're planning a visit. Allow half an hour maximum unless you're genuinely absorbed by ecclesiastical architecture.