Cotswold Sculpture Park

The Cotswold Sculpture Park sits just outside Cirencester and gives you something genuinely different from the usual tourist trail. This is art in the landscape - proper installations dotted across open countryside rather than cramped into a gallery. You'll wander between contemporary sculptures set against rolling fields, and the scale of it all hits you when you realise how much ground you've covered.

It works best for adults who like a bit of visual culture and aren't after a quick tick-box visit. Families with restless kids will find it a slog - there's a lot of walking between pieces and not much to do except look and think. But if you've got teenagers who actually engage with art, or you're the type who enjoys a meditative afternoon in a field with a coffee, this rewards a leisurely pace.

You'll want two to three hours minimum, more if you sit with any of the pieces for a while. The lack of crowds is actually the best thing about it - you won't be elbowing past school groups like you would at the big attractions.

If you're staying at Hoburne Cotswold Holiday Park just up the road, this pairs nicely with a morning exploring Cirencester itself. Park Farm Campsite, five miles out, also works well for a quiet base. Check ahead for admission fees and current opening hours before you head out - details aren't widely published, which is typical of independent art spaces. Worth a detour if sculpture matters to you.