Europe

Originally a Saxon minster, this large parish church dates mainly from the late 13th century but retains some earlier elements. It has an attractive 13th-century spire and some notable interior decorations.

Formerly a monastery and a cathedral, the spectacular cream-colored Bath Abbey (c. 1500) now serves as the parish church of Bath. The interior is especially famed for its fan vaulting.

Nicknamed the "Ship of the Fens" for its sturdy presence in the ancient marshland, Ely Cathedral is a unique building. Built primarily in a 12th-century Norman style, it also has some interesting later additions, including the famous Octagon tower.

Set within peaceful grounds, the village church of Great Milton was mostly rebuilt in the early 14th century. The building is thus predominately Early English, but some Norman features can still be seen.

Built in 80 CE to host gladiatorial combats and other entertainment, the Colosseum was the largest amphitheatre in the Roman world. Although much damaged and plundered over the centuries, it remains an imposing presence in the heart of Rome.

Famed for both its architecture and sculpture, Amiens Cathedral is the largest cathedral in France and a World Heritage Site. With Chartres and Reims, it is one of the three great High Gothic French cathedrals built in the 13th century.

Fairford Church is an exceptionally harmonious and well-preserved Cotswolds church. Funded by a wool merchant and consecrated in 1497, it boasts the most complete set of medieval stained glass in the UK.

A blue plaque marks the family home of author J. R. R. Tolkien from 1930 to 1947, at 20 Northmoor Road in Oxford. Here Tolkien wrote The Hobbit and the first two volumes of The Lord of the Rings.

Although best known for the “Mouth of Truth” in its porch, Santa Maria in Cosmedin is one of the most interesting churches in Rome, with an atmosphere of antiquity and some important early medieval art.

This Carolingian oratory near Orléans was built in 806 by Bishop Theodulf, Charlemagne's adviser. Containing rare Byzantine mosaics, it is one of the oldest and most unique churches in France.