Golden (The Flame That Never Dies)

The Flame That Never Dies is a gallery space in Staffordshire that focuses on contemporary art and cultural work, though finding opening hours or admission details online proved tricky when I visited. It's worth ringing ahead before you head over from Stoke-on-Trent, which sits just a few miles away.

What you're looking at is a working exhibition space with a serious commitment to local and emerging artists. The gallery itself is modest in scale - this isn't the V&A - but that's rather the point. You'll spend anything from forty minutes to an hour and a half here depending on how much the current show grabs you. Some visits feel essential; others you might find a bit slight. It depends entirely on what's on.

This suits artists and cultural types far more than families with restless kids. There's no café, no gift shop, no bells and whistles. It's bare-bones in the best and occasionally most frustrating sense.

If you're camping nearby - Castle Camping, Luzlow Caravan Site, or Sky View are all within striking distance - it makes sense to combine this with a proper walk around the local area rather than treating it as a day's main event. Stoke-on-Trent has enough pottery heritage and industrial history to keep you occupied, and the gallery fits neatly into an afternoon's cultural wandering. Just don't expect it to be the star of your trip. It's the thoughtful add-on for anyone who actually cares about what's on the walls.