The Church of the Most Precious Blood

The Church of the Most Precious Blood sits in Budleigh Salterton, a modest Victorian church that rewards the curious far more than it initially promises. Built in the 19th century, it's a proper example of the kind of religious architecture that popped up across Devon during that era of expansion - all red brick solidity and decent stained glass.

What makes it worth stopping for is the interior. The craftsmanship is genuinely good: windows that catch the light properly, a choir screen that shows real care, and that particular smell of old wood and stone that no modern church quite manages. You'll spend perhaps 20 minutes here if you're paying attention, longer if you're the type who reads every memorial plaque.

This is most rewarding for architecture enthusiasts and anyone with an interest in Victorian ecclesiastical design. Families with young children might find it a bit static, but if you've got kids keen on spotting gargoyles or brass rubbings, fair enough.

It's free to visit during daylight hours - proper access should be straightforward, though ringing ahead never hurts if you want certainty. The church sits close enough to Budleigh Salterton's seafront that you could easily combine it with a beach walk or a look round the town itself.

If you're staying at Ladram Bay or Oakdown Touring just down the road, this makes a decent 20-minute diversion on a slightly dull afternoon. Not a day-tripper's centrepiece, but the kind of stop that fills a gap properly.