Church of St Alkelda

The Church of St Alkelda sits in Middleham, a village that most people drive past without a second glance on their way to somewhere else in the Yorkshire Dales. But this place has serious bones - it's dedicated to a saint so obscure that even the locals seem a bit vague about who she was. Alkelda was apparently a 9th-century princess who got murdered by Viking raiders, though the details are fuzzy at best.

What you actually get is a modest stone church with real medieval character. It's not flashy or crowded, which is precisely why it works. Walk around the churchyard and you'll see gravestones dating back centuries, the kind of quiet corner that makes you slow down without meaning to. The interior is simple - there's decent stained glass, and the whole atmosphere feels properly lived-in rather than museum-like.

This is one for history types and anyone who appreciates small churches away from the tour bus circuits. It won't take more than thirty minutes unless you're genuinely deep-diving into medieval Dales history. Free to wander, no faffing about with opening hours or admission fees.

Settle's only a few miles south, so this works brilliantly as a stop while exploring the area. Combine it with Peaks and Pods or Dalesbridge Campsite nearby, and you've got the perfect base for walking and exploring villages that haven't been Instagram'd to death. The Dales are proper walking country, and a church like this reminds you why the region's worth a week, not just an afternoon.