Gandalf

There's a gallery called Gandalf just outside Morpeth in Northumberland, and it's one of those places that catches you off guard. The space itself is intimate - not one of those sprawling art barns that leave you exhausted after two hours, but something manageable and genuine. What hangs on the walls depends on what's on at the time, so it's worth checking ahead, but the whole thing has the feel of somewhere run by people who actually care about what they're showing rather than just shifting footfall.

This works best for anyone who wants a proper look at contemporary art without the pretension. Art students, practicing painters, people interested in the local creative scene - they'll get something from it. Families with young kids might find an hour enough; teenagers who are into visual culture will linger longer.

The bonus of staying at one of the nearby parks - Riverside Rothbury is barely a mile away, Whitton Glebe just over the road - is that Gandalf becomes a low-pressure addition to a broader day out. Morpeth itself is a decent market town with enough going on, and you're well positioned for walks along the Coquet valley or out towards Percy Wood if the weather turns or you need a break from the gallery circuit.

Cost and hours aren't confirmed online, so ring ahead before you drive over. Worth doing anyway - galleries this size often have irregular opening times depending on what's happening.