Gunning Arts Ltd

Gunning Arts is a working gallery tucked into Coalbrookdale, that industrial corner of Shropshire where the landscape still bears the scars and stories of iron-making heritage. You'll find contemporary art and craft here - the kind of place where actual makers work rather than just hang finished pieces on white walls. It's small and unpretentious, which means you're not paying for hype or a fancy building.

The gallery works best for people who genuinely like art and design, rather than those just ticking off tourist attractions. Serious crafts folk will probably spend a good hour browsing the stock and chatting with whoever's working that day. Families with fidgety kids might find it a bit quiet and focused - there's no interactive play area, and standing still looking at prints isn't everyone's idea of a holiday.

Since Coalbrookdale is heaving with heritage sites - the Iron Bridge, the Museum of Iron, all that industrial archaeology - Gunning Arts slots in nicely as a counterweight. It's contemporary rather than historical, which gives you a break from museum fatigue. The camping options nearby (Irongorge Camping is practically on the doorstep, though reviews are thin) make it feasible to spend a few days exploring the whole valley without straying far. Worth a stop if you're in the area and fancy something a bit different from the usual attractions.