Clarendon Fine Art Kingston Bentalls

The ground floor of Kingston's Bentalls department store holds a proper art gallery that most shoppers walking past simply miss. Clarendon Fine Art occupies a gallery space within the building, and it's the sort of place you might stumble into while browsing for something else entirely - which is exactly when it works best.

The gallery rotates exhibitions regularly, so what's on changes throughout the year. You'll find contemporary work, established artists, and pieces that range from accessible to genuinely challenging. It's not vast - you can cover it in twenty minutes if you're moving quickly, or forty if you're actually stopping to look. That brevity is part of the charm. There's no pressure, no sense of having to justify a visit by spending hours there.

It appeals most to anyone staying in the area who appreciates art without wanting to trek into central London. If you're based at Walton on Thames Camping and Caravanning Club Site or Chessington World of Adventures Resort, this is a low-key cultural break from the usual holiday routine. Families with teenagers keen on contemporary art will get something from it; younger children will probably be bored within minutes.

Admission details are tricky to pin down - worth ringing ahead or checking the Bentalls website directly. Go mid-week if you prefer a quieter experience, and time it around a browse through Kingston's high street. It's free of the usual gallery stuffiness, which counts for quite a lot.