Surbiton Hill Methodist Church

The red-brick Methodist chapel on Surbiton Hill is one of those Victorian buildings that stops you mid-stride if you're walking through the residential streets around Chessington. Built in the 1870s, it's a proper period piece - all pointed windows and chapel dignity in a neighbourhood that's otherwise all semi-detached houses and corner shops.

It's not a major tourist draw, and that's rather the point. What you get here is a genuine snapshot of how suburban London worshipped during the Methodist boom. The interior is modest but well-maintained, with the kind of wooden pews and stained glass that make sense once you're inside. If you've got an interest in Victorian religious architecture or local history, it's worth poking your head in during opening hours - the staff are usually friendly and happy to chat about the building's past.

Families spending a week at Chessington World of Adventures Resort won't find much to occupy the kids here, admittedly. This is more for the walkers and the history-minded - the sort of people who photograph gravestones and get excited about surviving examples of period craftsmanship. Allow twenty minutes if you're serious, ten if you're just passing.

The real value is context. Spend an afternoon wandering these Victorian streets, visit the church, grab a cup of tea locally, and you'll get a feel for how Chessington developed. It's the unglamorous side of Greater London, which makes it all the more interesting.