St Peter

St Peter's church sits on the edge of Shipston-on-Stour, a working medieval church that hasn't been turned into a museum or holiday attraction. You actually get what you pay for here: an ordinary place of worship where real people still pray. The building itself is proper worth a look if you're into Perpendicular Gothic - decent stonework, some decent windows, and the kind of solidity that comes from being built when craftsmanship meant something. The interior feels lived-in rather than polished, which makes it far more interesting than many preserved churches.

Park your van at Kirby Farm Caravan Site or Shire Camping and you're within walking distance, which is exactly where this fits into a Warwickshire trip. You won't spend hours here - twenty minutes to half an hour is realistic unless you're a proper architecture buff - but it pairs nicely with a mooch around Shipston itself. The town's got proper character, the sort of place where locals still do their shopping rather than everything being chain stores.

It's free to look around, though opening times depend on whoever's managing it that week. Best bet is to ring ahead or just turn up during daylight hours. Not for families hoping to keep the kids entertained for long, but cyclists and walkers passing through will appreciate the stop. If you're staying at Mount Farm Park or Monks' Barn Farm nearby and fancy something low-key and genuinely local, this delivers.