Folkestone Lightbulb

Michael Craig-Martin's lightbulb sits on a Folkestone street corner like a sudden thought made solid. It's the kind of public art that stops you mid-stride - a glossy, oversized light bulb rendered in his signature hyper-real style, impossible to miss and oddly difficult to look away from. The work is part of Creative Folkestone's wider collection, which means you can hunt it down as part of a walking tour through town, spotting other commissioned pieces as you go.

This isn't a gallery in the traditional sense where you queue up and pay admission. The lightbulb lives outside, free to view whenever you fancy, which means you can swing past it at 7am or 10pm without anyone stopping you. Craig-Martin has that gift for making everyday objects feel monumental - here a simple bulb becomes a meditation on innovation, electricity, ideas. Some people will walk straight past it. Others will spend ten minutes photographing it from different angles.

For art tourists and anyone with a bit of curiosity about contemporary public commissions, it's worth the detour while you're exploring Folkestone's seafront. Allow five minutes, no more, unless you're doing the full Creative Folkestone trail, which would eat up a morning. The surrounding area has plenty of cafes where you can grab coffee and debrief about whether public art like this actually lands or just sits there looking clever.

If you're based at Varne Ridge Holiday Park or Greenhill Glamping nearby, Folkestone's town centre is a short drive, making this an easy add-on to a coastal weekend.