Gilpin Smart Arts

Gilpin Smart Arts sits just outside Richmond in North Yorkshire, a small contemporary gallery that punches well above its weight. The space showcases work by established and emerging artists, rotating exhibitions that actually make you stop and think rather than shuffle through another predictable provincial effort.

What strikes you immediately is how the gallery refuses to play it safe. You'll find painting, sculpture, installation pieces - the sort of work that sparks proper debate. It's not enormous, so you won't be wandering for hours, but that's rather the point. Spend forty minutes to an hour here, take your time with pieces that interest you, and move on. No faffing about.

This appeals most to people who actually care about contemporary art rather than those ticking off tourist attractions. If you're staying at Hewn Yorkshire - just five miles down the road - it's worth the short drive to break up a holiday centred on the park itself. Richmond town centre is close by too, so you can combine a gallery visit with lunch or a wander around the market square without too much effort.

The main limitation is that opening hours aren't widely advertised, so ring ahead before you make the journey. Free or paid admission information isn't readily available either, but that's the nature of smaller independent galleries - they operate on their own terms. Worth seeking out if contemporary work appeals to you, but if you're after traditional landscapes or local history pieces, you'll want to look elsewhere.