St Peter & St Paul Church, Barkestone le Vale

The church sits quietly in Barkestone le Vale, a village that most people drive straight through without noticing. St Peter & St Paul is the sort of place that rewards the detour - a proper medieval parish church with enough character to justify stopping if you're touring Nottinghamshire's countryside.

Inside, you'll find the kind of details that make old churches worth visiting. There's genuine medieval stonework, some decent stained glass, and the sort of peace you can't manufacture in a tourist trap. The nave is straightforward but well-proportioned, and if the weather's decent you can stand outside and understand why someone chose this exact spot to build a church eight centuries ago.

It's not a destination in itself, frankly. Most visitors will spend thirty minutes here, tops. But if you're staying at Janson Fishery Caravan & Camping just down the road - and it's only 2.5 miles away - it's worth an afternoon ramble. Families with older kids interested in history will find something genuine here rather than the polished-up versions you get in city centres.

Go when the light's decent because the interiors of these village churches can be gloomy. Check locally for opening times - rural churches keep odd hours. The real appeal here is the setting and the sense that this building has simply been getting on with its job for centuries, unbothered by whether tourists show up or not.