Antony Van Raalte

The Antony Van Raalte gallery in Street showcases contemporary art in a region better known for shoe factories and flat fenland walks. It's a proper surprise to stumble across serious gallery space in Somerset's least obvious location. The gallery focuses on Van Raalte's own work alongside rotating exhibitions - expect abstract paintings, sculptural pieces, and installations that shift with the seasons. Most visitors spend an hour here, longer if you're genuinely into modern art rather than just passing through. It's free to visit, which is always a bonus when you're weighing up a rainy afternoon against a pub crawl through the town centre.

This works best for art enthusiasts and anyone keen to escape the tourist trail around Wells Cathedral. Families with older kids won't hate it, but under-twelves will lose interest quickly unless contemporary art genuinely excites them. The real win is the location itself - you're five minutes from Bobsfield Campsite and Old Oaks Touring, making it an easy morning visit before heading out to the Levels for walking or towards Wells for proper sightseeing. Street itself is a working town, not a destination, so don't expect cafes or craft shops to linger in afterwards. Plan to combine it with other attractions rather than making it your main event. The surrounding countryside - flat, windswept, slightly bleak - is far more memorable than anything you'll find indoors. Worth thirty minutes if you're already in the area. Worth a special trip? Probably not.