Artworks East

Artworks East sits in a part of London most tourists miss entirely - the kind of neighbourhood you'd only find if you were deliberately looking for it. It's a proper arts space, the sort of place where local creatives actually work rather than just exhibit their finished pieces behind velvet ropes.

What you get here is a working studio and gallery hybrid. You can wander through and watch artists in their element - some days you'll catch painters mid-stroke, other times sculptors with their hands covered in clay. It's refreshingly unglamorous and honest. The space itself has that industrial charm: exposed brick, high ceilings, the smell of linseed oil and turpentine.

This isn't for people expecting a polished museum experience. History buffs won't find much to chew on, and families with restless toddlers might struggle - there's not a lot of interactive entertainment. But if you're genuinely interested in contemporary art and how real working artists operate, you'll find it fascinating. Art students should absolutely come here.

The real draw is the accessibility. You're not separated from the work by perspex or panic buttons. If you're staying at Lee Valley Camping and Caravan Park up in Edmonton, it's worth the short hop east to see how London's creative communities actually function beyond the West End galleries. Allow an hour, maybe longer if you strike up conversation with someone working. Check ahead for opening hours - they're not always standard - but when they're open, it costs nothing to look around.