St Mary The Virgin Church

The church sits quietly on Norfolk's coastline, a proper slice of medieval England that most visitors to Cromer completely miss. St Mary The Virgin is a 14th-century building with all the hallmarks you'd expect - soaring nave, creaky wooden pews, the kind of light that pours through old glass and makes you want to sit in silence for twenty minutes. The tower's a solid piece of work, and inside there's enough carved stone and faded memorials to keep history buffs occupied for a good hour, though casual visitors tend to drift through in half that time.

It's genuinely free to wander in, which helps justify the minor detour from Cromer's seafront bustle. The approach is atmospheric enough - you'll find it tucked away rather than splashed across the high street. Kids will either be fascinated or bored stiff within minutes, depending on whether they're the type to run their fingers along 600-year-old stonework or just want ice cream.

Give it forty-five minutes if you're thorough, less if you're not. The real value comes if you're staying at one of the nearby caravan parks - Forest Park, Woodland Holiday Park, or The Grove Glamping are all within spitting distance - and you want something cultural to balance the beach days. It's the kind of place that rewards a slow morning walk rather than a rushed tick-box visit. Norfolk's packed with these medieval churches, but this one's worth stopping by if you're in the area anyway.