St James' United Reformed Church

A modest red-brick chapel that sits quietly in the Northumberland countryside near Chathill, St James' United Reformed Church is the sort of place you'd stumble across rather than plan for. Built in the Victorian era, it's a straightforward affair - nothing grand, nothing decorated beyond what's necessary. The interior is all high ceilings and wooden pews, with that particular smell that only old churches seem to have.

It's genuinely useful if you're staying at one of the nearby caravan parks - Coast and Castles Camping, Percy Wood Holiday Park, or Dunstan Hill - and fancy a quiet walk or a bit of local history. The building itself won't occupy you for long, but there's something rather satisfying about visiting a working church that's actually part of the community rather than a tourist attraction.

Locals will tell you this isn't a destination in itself. You come here because you're staying nearby, or because you're cycling between the coastal villages and the inland farms. It's free to visit, and opening times are fairly flexible if the door is unlocked - though ringing ahead makes sense if you want to be certain of access.

Pair it with walks along the Northumberland coast or through the surrounding farmland. The church works as a brief stop, somewhere to rest your legs and get a sense of how rural life ticks along here. It's the kind of place that rewards the curious rather than the rushed.