Woodlands Chapel

Tucked away in the Surrey countryside near Crawley, Woodlands Chapel is a proper piece of local religious history that most visitors to the area walk straight past without noticing. It's a small, unassuming church that rewards a quiet visit if you're the type who enjoys poking around old buildings and reading the stories carved into stone.

The chapel itself is modest - exactly what you'd expect from a rural Surrey place of worship - but that's rather the point. There's no grand architecture or vaulted ceilings here, just the real thing: decades of local worship, burials in the churchyard, and the kind of peaceful atmosphere you only find in genuinely quiet spots. You'll get a sense of what rural life actually looked like in this part of Surrey rather than any tourist-friendly version of it.

Walkers based at any of the nearby parks - Betchworth Fort, Surrey Hills, or Merrywood - might incorporate it into a ramble across the Downs. It's not a destination in itself, but rather a perfectly pleasant stop on a longer outing. If you're staying at Cowroom Glamping or Henfold Lakes, you're close enough to make it part of a morning walk without faffing about.

The chapel works best for history buffs and those who actually enjoy churchyards - wandering among old gravestones, noticing dates and names. Families with restless children won't get much from it. Allow maybe thirty minutes if you're thorough, less if you're just passing through. Free to visit, naturally.