Stoke St Gregory Baptist Church

The church sits in the village of Stoke St Gregory, a few miles south of Taunton, looking rather more substantial than you'd expect for such a quiet corner of the Somerset Levels. It's a Baptist chapel, which means the architecture tells a different story to the grand medieval parish churches you find elsewhere in Somerset - there's a working-class simplicity to it, a no-nonsense approach to faith that feels refreshingly honest.

Inside, the space is properly intimate. High wooden galleries, a pulpit that dominates the room, pews worn smooth by generations of worshippers. There's something moving about places like this, even if you're not religiously inclined - they speak to real community, to people gathering in the same spot week after week for nearly two centuries. The craftsmanship is solid if unpretentious.

You won't need more than thirty minutes here, and it's the sort of stop that works best if you're already in the area rather than a specific destination in itself. Perfect if you're staying at one of the nearby caravan parks - 5 Acres on the Somerset Levels or Thornhills are both close enough for a quick detour. Combine it with a walk around the village itself or a drive through the Levels, which have their own quiet appeal when the light hits right.

Check locally before you go - opening times aren't always reliable for smaller churches. But if you're interested in Nonconformist architecture and how ordinary people worshipped, it's well worth the brief diversion.