St Cuthbert Old Chapel

The ruins of St Cuthbert Old Chapel sit quietly on the Dorset landscape near Sturminster Newton, a modest stone reminder that someone once thought this spot important enough to worship at. What remains is fragmentary - a few walls, some tumbled stones - but there's something rather moving about standing here and thinking about the centuries of footfall this ground has known.

It's the kind of place that appeals most to local history buffs and walkers who don't mind a bit of detective work. You won't spend hours here; twenty minutes is probably realistic unless you're the type to sit and sketch or take photographs from every angle. The appeal lies more in the quiet and the sense of place than in elaborate ruins or museum-quality artefacts.

If you're based at Starlight Glamping or Long Hazel Park for a Dorset caravan holiday, this makes a decent add-on to a longer walk rather than a destination in itself. The surrounding countryside is the real draw - rolling fields and good walking terrain that rewards a morning's exploration. Sturminster Newton itself is worth a wander too, with its Georgian high street and riverside setting.

The chapel isn't signposted with any great fanfare, so do ask locally for directions or check what's current before you visit. There's no entrance fee or facilities, just the chapel and whatever the weather throws at you. Go if you're already in the area and fancy a quiet moment away from the caravan; don't make a special journey just for this.