St Helen, Thorganby

The church sits quietly on the edge of Thorganby, a village that most people drive straight through on their way to York. St Helen's is a small medieval structure with a tower that's somehow managed to survive centuries of Yorkshire weather without looking particularly bothered about it. Inside, it's all proper old - the kind of place where you can actually feel the age in the stonework rather than just reading about it on a plaque.

Walkers will find this worth a detour if you're exploring the quieter side of York's surroundings. It's the sort of church that rewards a slow look rather than a rushed tick-box visit. The churchyard has character, and the building itself isn't cluttered with modern additions, which is refreshing. You won't need more than twenty minutes here unless you're genuinely interested in medieval architecture - in which case you could happily spend longer studying the details.

It's free to visit and sits well within reach of Wigwam Holidays Ball Hall Farm and Acorn Glade Glamping, both within easy driving distance. If you're based at one of the nearby parks and fancy a proper walk with a quiet church as your destination, this works brilliantly. It's not a headline attraction, but that's precisely why it works. No crowds, no gift shop, no fuss - just a village church doing what it's done for about 700 years.