St Martin, Fangfoss

The Church of St Martin sits quietly in Fangfoss, a small village about twelve miles east of York, and it's exactly the sort of place you stumble upon by accident while exploring the Yorkshire Wolds. There's nothing flashy about it - just a solid, genuine medieval church with genuine medieval bones showing through. The interior has proper character: you'll find decent medieval windows, some decent stonework, and the kind of peaceful atmosphere that only comes from centuries of people coming through the same door.

This works best for church enthusiasts and walkers rather than kids, unless yours happen to enjoy poking around old buildings. Plan half an hour, maybe forty-five minutes if you're properly interested in looking around. Access is usually open, though it's worth checking locally in York before you go.

What makes Fangfoss worth the detour is how it sits within the wider East Yorkshire landscape. It's close enough to base yourself at one of the nearby glamping spots - Yapham Holds Farmhouse Glamping is less than two miles away - and combine it with walks around the Wolds or drives to York itself. The village and church fit into a proper circuit rather than sitting entirely alone. It's not dramatic, not Instagram-friendly, but it's genuinely old and genuinely worth a visit if you're spending time in this corner of Yorkshire and you like seeing how ordinary people lived and worshipped eight hundred years ago.