Clarendon Fine Art Cobham

Cobham's art scene gets a proper lift from Clarendon Fine Art, a gallery that takes itself seriously without the stuffiness you'd expect from Surrey. Walk in and you're confronted with contemporary work - paintings, sculptures, pieces that actually make you stop and look rather than nod politely and move on. The space itself is well-proportioned, never cramped, which means you can stand back and let the art breathe.

This is one for people who actually care about what's on the walls. Not a browsing-for-an-hour kind of place, but somewhere you go when you want to see something specific or you're genuinely curious about what local and emerging artists are doing right now. It's the sort of gallery that changes its exhibitions, so there's a reason to return rather than just tick a box.

Cobham itself is a pleasant enough village - you can grab a coffee nearby, have a wander round, make it part of a broader afternoon. If you're camping at one of the sites dotted around the area - Polyapes Scout Campsite is barely over a mile away - it's worth knowing about as an option on a rainy day. Though honestly, Chessington World of Adventures is close enough if you've got restless kids; that'll keep them occupied far longer than any gallery will.

Before you visit, ring ahead to check opening hours and whether there's anything on you actually want to see. Nothing worse than turning up to find the space closed or a collection that leaves you cold.