St Martin's Church, Herne

The tower of St Martin's rises from the flat Kent landscape like a stone anchor, and it's been holding this corner of Herne together since medieval times. Inside, the church is all cool stone and filtered light - the kind of place where you can actually hear yourself think, which feels increasingly rare these days.

What draws most people here is the architecture itself. The tower dates back to the 14th century, and there's genuine work from that period still visible if you know where to look. The rest of the building reflects centuries of tweaks and repairs - some successful, some less so - but that's rather the point with parish churches. They're living documents, not museum pieces.

It's worth a stop if you're walking around Herne or heading between Whitstable and Canterbury. You won't need more than twenty minutes inside, though historians could spend longer studying the details. The churchyard is peaceful, which counts for something on a busy day. Free to enter, naturally, though you might want to leave a donation.

If you're based at one of the holiday parks nearby - Seaview is only a couple of miles off - this makes an easy mid-walk destination rather than a destination in itself. Combine it with a wander through the village or a trip to Whitstable's seafront and you've got a proper afternoon sorted. The camping spots at Canterbury or Preston Court are only slightly further, making St Martin's a reasonable leg-stretch during a longer stay in the area.