Christ Church

The tower of Christ Church rises above Cambridge's roofline like a proper Victorian statement - all red brick and Gothic Revival detail. Built in 1885, it's the sort of church that makes you stop mid-stroll and actually look up, which doesn't happen often these days. The interior is where things get interesting: ornate Victorian craftsmanship throughout, with decent stained glass and the kind of peaceful atmosphere you only find in working churches, not museum pieces.

Worth a visit if you're already exploring Cambridge's university quarters, less so if you're planning a dedicated trip. The church sits east of the city centre, so it slots naturally into a morning walk through the college gardens and along the Backs. Allow thirty minutes to have a proper look around. It's free to enter, though opening hours are typical church hours - worth checking ahead.

If you're basing yourself at one of the nearby caravan parks - Cherry Hinton is closest at 2.4 miles - Christ Church works as a low-key diversion when you fancy getting off the main tourist drag. The surrounding streets are proper residential Cambridge, not crowded with day-trippers, which is rather pleasant. Families with older children who can appreciate the architecture will get something from it. Young kids will find fifteen minutes enough. The real draw around here is the college architecture itself, so treat this as one stop on a longer Cambridge walk rather than a destination in its own right.