Shobdon Church, Shobdon, Shropshire

Visiting a church may not be high on everyone’s list when you’re on your large group holidays in the UK, but if you find yourself in rural Herefordshire, go and see Shobdon Church because it’s not far and it's so unique, so utterly, utterly pretty.

From the outside it may not look very remarkable at all, but inside is such a surprise, an astonishing blend of Gothic and Rococo architecture, known as ‘Strawberry Hill Gothick’ after the 18^th century writer and politican Horace Walople’s Strawberry Hill House in Twickenham. It’s something you would never expect to find in the Herefordshire countryside, but here it is, all white and pale blue with ornamental arches and a richly decorative pulpit.

On the hill just across the way from Shobdon Church stand the original interior arches of the church, removed in 1756 and now preserved as a folly.

All information correct at the time of writing