The Parish Church of St Helen and Visitors' Centre, Ranworth

The tower rises above Ranworth village like a proper sentinel over the Broads - you'll spot it from miles across the flat Norfolk landscape. St Helen's is a 15th-century church that draws visitors as much for the Visitors' Centre as for the building itself, which houses a fascinating medieval manuscript collection and gives you genuine access to church history rather than just staring at old stones.

Climb the tower if your knees are up for it. The views across the Broads are genuinely excellent - reedy wetland stretching to the horizon, boats moving slowly through the water channels. It's the sort of vista that makes you understand why people settle in this corner of Norfolk. The church itself is light and airy inside, with some decent stained glass work and that particular smell all old churches have - damp stone and time.

Walkers and history types will get the most from a visit here. It's not a quick tick-box stop; you need an hour minimum if you're doing the tower climb and poking around the centre properly. Kids might manage twenty minutes before restlessness sets in, though the tower does usually grab their interest. The village is quiet and genuinely rural despite being less than an hour from Great Yarmouth.

Based here while caravan camping at Norfolk Broads Haven or Clippesby Hall puts you within easy reach. Combine it with a walk along the Broads themselves - there are proper paths around here - and you've got a half-day sorted. Admission details aren't certain, but assume it's either free or a small donation keeps things ticking over.