Grasshopper

The Grasshopper gallery sits quietly in Morpeth, a working artist's space that doesn't make much fuss about itself. You won't find it plastered all over Instagram, which is rather the point. It's a proper working studio where you can actually see artists doing their thing - painting, sculpting, whatever catches their interest that week. The space itself is intimate, the kind of place where you can have a conversation with whoever's there without feeling like you're interrupting.

This works best for people who actually care about contemporary art and want to understand the thinking behind the work. If you're dragging reluctant teenagers along expecting interactive installations or free wifi, you'll be disappointed. But if you're the sort who enjoys stumbling into a gallery and having a genuine chat with the maker, this is exactly your speed.

Allow an hour, maybe ninety minutes if the artist is in a talking mood. Check opening hours before you go - independent galleries can be temperamental about their schedules. Entry details aren't widely advertised, so a quick phone call or website check saves a wasted trip from Riverside Rothbury Holiday Park, which is barely a mile away, or from Percy Wood further out.

It's the kind of gallery that rewards turning up without massive expectations and leaving with something genuinely interesting to think about. Perfect if you're basing yourself at one of the nearby holiday parks and want cultural substance rather than tourist theatre.