St Piran

The ruins of St Piran's Church sit half-buried in the sand dunes near Perranzabuloe, looking rather like something the beach has been slowly reclaiming for centuries - which, frankly, it has. This is one of Cornwall's most unusual religious sites: a 6th-century church that's spent most of its modern life either covered by sand or undergoing excavation. You can wander round the remains and get a genuine sense of how the Cornish coast moves and shifts, swallowing buildings whole.

It's genuinely atmospheric, especially on quieter days when the wind's doing its thing across the dunes. The church itself is modest - just stone walls and the outline of what was once a functioning place of worship - but the location tells the real story. St Piran is the patron saint of Cornwall, so this place carries weight locally, even if it doesn't look like much at first glance.

Historically minded visitors will find this rewarding; kids might find it a bit abstract after twenty minutes unless they're into archaeology. There's no charge to visit and no formal opening hours - you just head out to the dunes and have a look. Allow half an hour to an hour, longer if you're exploring the surrounding beach.

With Perran View Holiday Park and Haven Perran Sands just down the road, St Piran makes a decent half-morning detour while staying in the area. The coastal path connections are good too if you fancy extending the walk.