Art Box, Leamington

Art Box in Leamington is one of those spaces that catches you off guard - a proper contemporary gallery tucked into Warwickshire's royal town. The space itself is unpretentious, which works entirely in its favour. You'll find rotating exhibitions featuring work from emerging and established artists, with a focus on painting, sculpture, and mixed media that actually makes you think rather than just nod politely.

It's worth a visit if you're the sort who likes to spend time actually looking at art rather than Instagramming it. Expect to spend between an hour and ninety minutes here depending on how deep you want to go with each piece. The staff are genuinely knowledgeable without being precious about it, which makes a genuine difference.

Practically speaking, it sits within easy reach of Warwick's town centre - where you've got the castle and plenty of tea shops to recover in afterwards. If you're basing yourself at Lairhillock Park nearby, Art Box makes for a solid afternoon alternative to another country walk, particularly if the weather turns grey.

The admission situation and exact opening hours do shift, so ring ahead or check their social media before you visit. Word of warning: it's not the sort of place that'll occupy restless younger kids for hours, but if you've got teenagers interested in contemporary work, they might actually surprise you with engagement here. Real community space, proper independent spirit.