St Giles Church

The church sits on Church Lane in Northampton, a proper medieval structure that catches you off guard if you're wandering the town centre on foot. St Giles is one of those understated parish churches you pass a hundred times without really looking, which is a shame because the interior has real character - soaring columns, decent stained glass, and the kind of quiet that makes you actually hear yourself think.

It's free to wander in during daylight hours, though opening times can be a bit hit-and-miss depending on who's volunteering that week. Most people spend twenty minutes to half an hour inside, maybe longer if you're into medieval architecture or brass rubbings. Not a destination in itself, mind you, but absolutely worth ducking into if you're exploring Northampton proper.

The real draw is combining it with a caravan park stay - Billing Aquadrome is barely two miles away, making St Giles an easy afternoon slot between the water sports and the leisure facilities. Lakeview and Riverview Park are similarly close, so you've got no excuse for a quick cultural pit stop before heading back to base. Families with older kids who don't mind standing about in churches will get something out of it; younger children will find it dull after five minutes. It's the sort of place that adds texture to a Northamptonshire break rather than defining it. Worth twenty minutes of your time if you're in the area.