Gallery No 2 Truro

The first thing that strikes you about Gallery No 2 is how unpretentious it feels. Tucked away in Truro's quieter corners, this isn't the sort of place that announces itself with brass plaques and queue barriers. It's a working gallery where you'll actually see artists taking their craft seriously, often mid-creation, and that matters.

You're looking at contemporary work here - paintings, sculpture, installations - from artists who've chosen to exhibit seriously rather than sell postcards to passing tourists. The scale of pieces varies wildly, which keeps things interesting. Some hit you immediately; others reward a second look. The space itself is intimate without feeling cramped, and staff know what they're talking about rather than just manning a desk.

It's not a day-long stop. Most visitors spend forty minutes to an hour here, depending on how much you want to chat about what you're seeing. That said, there's real substance to what's on show, so it's well worth that time if contemporary art actually matters to you. Families with teenagers who've developed actual taste will get something from it; younger kids might find it slow.

The location works well if you're basing yourself at Trevarth Holiday Park or Wrinklers Wood for a wider Cornwall trip. Truro itself has decent cafes and enough other shops to make half a day of it. Check opening hours before heading over - independent galleries can be unpredictable - but it's one of those places where a genuine artistic conviction beats slick tourism every time.