hART

The gallery sits quietly in Hythe, a coastal town that most visitors rush through on their way to somewhere else. hART is a proper working space where local artists show alongside established names - the kind of place where you might actually bump into someone who made the work on the wall. The setup is refreshingly unpretentious: you wander through smaller rooms rather than echoing white-box galleries, which means even half an hour feels substantial rather than rushed.

What works best here is the rotating programme. One visit might be photography and printmaking, another contemporary painting or mixed media installations. There's genuine effort to keep things current without becoming inaccessible. Staff know their stuff without being precious about it. Kids won't necessarily be bored, though it's not designed as a family attraction - older ones interested in art will get more from it than younger siblings kicking their heels.

It's free to look round, which removes any pressure. Allow 45 minutes to an hour unless something's particularly grabbed you. The best approach is to check what's on before you visit - a few minutes online saves disappointment if the current show doesn't appeal. Hythe itself has a pleasant seafront and decent chip shops, so it pairs well with a proper seaside wander.

If you're basing yourselves at one of the caravan parks nearby - New Beach Holiday Park or Daleacres are closest - hART makes a morning diversion before heading to Port Lympne Safari Park for something livelier. It's the sort of spot that rewards a bit of curiosity but won't feel like a pilgrimage if you skip it.