The Immaculate Conception and St Joseph

A proper Victorian church sitting quietly on the edge of Hertford, this one's worth a quick stop if you're passing through town or based at one of the nearby caravan parks. The Immaculate Conception and St Joseph is a solid red-brick affair with that earnest 19th-century Catholic charm - all pointed arches and decent stained glass. Inside it's clean and straightforward, nothing fussy, which somehow makes it rather restful.

You're not looking at a day's entertainment here. Twenty minutes, thirty if you're the type to sit and contemplate things. But that's rather the point with a church visit - it's a moment of calm in a day of holiday pottering. The building itself speaks to Hertford's religious history and the Victorian expansion of Catholic churches across England.

If you're staying at the excellent Hertford Camping and Caravanning Club Site just a mile away, it's an easy walk into town. You could combine it with a proper look around Hertford's town centre, which has decent enough high street shops and the River Lea running through it. The church sits centrally enough that you won't need a car.

Families with young kids won't get much from lingering, but if you've got older children or teenagers, it's worth pointing out the architecture and the craft that went into the windows. History types will appreciate its Victorian context. Basically, it's free admission (church etiquette applies), and it slots neatly into a morning before you head elsewhere in Hertfordshire.