Artsnug Walthamstow

Walk into Artsnug and you're immediately struck by how seriously they take their craft. It's a gallery space in Walthamstow - that part of East London that's finally getting the attention it deserves - and they've created something genuinely worth a detour. The work on display tends toward contemporary art with real edge: installations, paintings, sculpture, the lot.

This isn't somewhere to spend three hours. Expect to browse properly in forty minutes or so, longer if something really grabs you. The space itself is intimate rather than grand, which means you actually engage with what's here rather than just walking past an endless parade of canvases. Artists exhibiting tend to be emerging or mid-career names, so there's an honest feel to it - nobody's coasting on reputation.

It works best for people who genuinely like looking at art without the pretension. Teenagers who are into visual culture would get something from it. Kids below ten might fidget. There's no café or shop to speak of, so treat it as the main event rather than a pit stop.

If you're staying at Lee Valley Campsite over in Sewardstone, Walthamstow's only about five miles away and makes a proper morning or afternoon outing. Free admission is standard for smaller East London galleries like this, though always check ahead. The surrounding area's got decent coffee spots and vintage shops if you want to make a proper day of it.