St Thomas a Becket

The church sits quietly in Sourton, just outside Okehampton, a sturdy medieval building that doesn't announce itself. St Thomas a Becket has that proper Devon character - stone walls, modest proportions, the kind of place where you half expect to bump into someone's grandmother doing the flowers.

Inside, it's surprisingly intimate. The nave feels lived-in rather than sterile, which is exactly what you want from a 700-year-old parish church. There's real history here without the tourist machinery - no gift shop, no entry fee, just a working church that happens to be rather nice to spend twenty minutes in.

For walkers exploring the moorland around Okehampton, this makes a solid waypoint. The church sits on routes that connect into the broader Dartmoor paths, so you could easily fold it into a longer day. Families with young kids won't find enough to keep them occupied for more than a quick look, but anyone interested in medieval Devon or church architecture will appreciate its genuine, unfussy character.

If you're staying at Wolf Wood Treehouses nearby - a proper five-star spot - this is an easy ramble away. A couple of miles on foot through decent countryside. Go midweek if you can; weekends tend to bring the coach parties through Okehampton town itself, which rather drowns out the appeal of somewhere this quiet.