Allen Gallery

The Allen Gallery sits in Alton's town centre, a modest red-brick Victorian building that punches above its weight. Inside you'll find a rotating collection of contemporary art, ceramics, and local historical pieces - nothing blockbuster, but genuinely thoughtful stuff that changes often enough to warrant a return visit.

It's the sort of place where you can actually spend time with individual pieces rather than shuffling through crowds. The ground floor tends to showcase applied arts - textiles, pottery, jewellery - while upstairs handles painting and sculpture. Staff are properly knowledgeable without being overbearing, which makes a real difference.

Visiting families with older kids will get more from it than those with toddlers. The space isn't huge, so you're looking at forty-five minutes to an hour max, though you could linger over the cafe if you've got time. Worth checking what's on before you visit - the collection rotates, so a landscape exhibition one month might be contemporary art the next.

If you're basing yourself at Wigwam Holidays or Feather Down Manor Farm nearby, it's an easy rainy-day option that doesn't require a major commitment. Alton itself has enough independent shops and cafes to make an afternoon of it. The gallery's free or very cheap entry - typical small-town gallery pricing - which helps justify the detour.