Saint Teresa's

The Roman Catholic church on the edge of Aylesbury surprises you with its scale and quiet dignity. Saint Teresa's is a proper working parish church, not some museum piece, and you'll find locals at weekday services alongside visitors who've stumbled upon it. The interior is the real draw - solid Victorian Gothic architecture with good stained glass and that particular smell of old wood and polish that does something to you.

It's worth a quick visit if you're in Aylesbury anyway, though don't expect fireworks. Thirty minutes is about right unless you're genuinely into ecclesiastical architecture, in which case you'll spot details others miss. Families with fidgety kids might find it a bit heavy going, but anyone interested in 19th-century Catholic history in the Home Counties should see it.

Admission appears to be free, though it's worth checking ahead. The church sits comfortably within reach of the camping sites around here - Orchard View Farm and Home Farm Camping are both under five miles away, making it an easy afternoon detour during a Buckinghamshire camping holiday. There's genuine character to the building that gets under your skin more than you'd expect walking in. Best visited when there aren't services on, obviously, unless you fancy joining in.