Amesbury Art Gallery

The gallery sits quietly on Amesbury's high street, a proper local treasure that most tourists speeding past on the way to Stonehenge completely miss. It's a modest space - nothing flashy - but worth stopping for if you've got an hour to spare before heading back to Salisbury.

Inside, you'll find rotating exhibitions of contemporary work mixed with pieces by regional artists. The shows tend toward the accessible rather than deliberately obscure, which means even if modern art isn't normally your thing, there's usually something that catches the eye. On my last visit, a collection of landscape photography from across Wiltshire hung alongside some rather good ceramics by a local potter.

It's the kind of place that appeals to anyone with even a passing interest in art and craft - families with older kids will appreciate the quietness, while walkers exploring the Stonehenge area can pop in without needing to plan a major detour. The staff actually know what they're talking about, which beats the scripted patter you get elsewhere.

Free entry makes it an easy add-on to a day around here. Allow 45 minutes to an hour unless a particular exhibition really grabs you. Worth coupling with a stay at nearby Stonehenge Campsite & Glamping or Salisbury Camping and Caravanning Club Site - both are within easy striking distance. The gallery gives Amesbury reason to stop rather than just pass through, and that alone makes it worth knowing about.