blue tree gallery

The Blue Tree Gallery sits just outside York, a working artist's studio and exhibition space that feels refreshingly unpretentious. You'll find contemporary art and craft on display - paintings, sculptures, prints - all produced by working artists rather than shipped in from a gallery chain. The space itself is intimate, the kind of place where you can actually have a conversation with someone who made the work rather than reading a laminated card on the wall.

It's ideal if you've spent the morning wandering York's medieval streets and fancy something a bit different without leaving the area. Families with older kids who aren't gallery-phobic will manage fine here - it won't take more than 45 minutes, and there's a genuine sense of discovery rather than obligation. If you're staying at Nurseries Caravan Park or Wagtail Park, it's close enough for an afternoon visit without the faff of driving into York proper.

The gallery trades on honesty rather than hype. Whether the current exhibition speaks to you is down to taste, but there's none of that forced theatricality you get at some bigger venues. Go in without expecting a blockbuster experience and you'll likely leave pleasantly surprised. Check ahead on opening hours and what's on - they're not always open, and the exhibitions rotate.