Hastings Contemporary

The gallery sits right on Hastings seafront in a converted Victorian building, all red brick and tall windows facing straight onto the pebble beach. It's free to get in, which immediately makes it worth popping into if you're staying at one of the nearby parks like Beaulieu Farm or Coghurst Hall. Inside you'll find contemporary art - rotating exhibitions rather than a permanent collection, so what's on depends when you visit. The space itself is intimate rather than sprawling. You won't need more than an hour or ninety minutes unless you're properly into the work on display.

The real draw here is location. You can wander in from the seafront, have a look round, grab a coffee, then head straight back out to the beach or into town without any faffing about. It works well if you've got older kids or teenagers who might appreciate something beyond the typical holiday park activities. Younger ones might fidget a bit depending on the exhibition.

Timing-wise, go when the light's good if you can - the big windows mean natural light plays a real part in how the work looks. It's the kind of place that feels less like duty and more like a proper break if you're camping nearby. Hastings itself has enough going on - the old town, restaurants, fish and chips places - that you could easily build a morning around this without feeling like you're squeezing it in. Worth checking their website before you arrive to see what's showing.