Dungeness Open Studios

The shingle expanse of Dungeness isn't everyone's cup of tea, but the artists who've made their studios here clearly see something most of us miss. Dungeness Open Studios gives you the chance to wander into working creative spaces scattered across this bleak, wind-swept headland - proper raw landscape, nothing twee about it. You'll find painters, sculptors, jewellers and photographers tucked into converted cottages and outbuildings, many with views straight out to the English Channel. It's the kind of place where you actually talk to the people making the work rather than just staring at prices in a gallery.

Timing matters here. The studios typically open for specific weekends - spring and autumn tend to be the main events - so check before you trek out from New Romney. Allow a good couple of hours minimum if you're going to do it properly, longer if you're genuinely interested in the work. This isn't a quick tick-box sort of visit. Families with young kids might struggle; it requires a bit of patience and appreciation for contemporary art rather than hands-on activity.

What makes it worthwhile is the whole Dungeness experience. You're combining art with the most unusual stretch of coast in England - the nuclear power station looms overhead, there's Derek Jarman's garden to explore nearby, and the light here is extraordinary. It's moody, sometimes bleak, absolutely nothing like the seaside holiday parks clustered around Romney Sands or New Romney caravan sites three or four miles inland. Far stranger, far more interesting.