Hawksby's

Keighley's art scene centres on Hawksby's, a gallery that punches above its weight for a town of this size. It's the sort of place where you stumble in expecting a pleasant half-hour and end up losing track of time entirely.

The gallery focuses on contemporary work with a strong emphasis on local and emerging artists. The curation changes regularly, so you're not walking around the same exhibition twice if you're staying in the area. Space-wise, it's intimate rather than sprawling - you can see everything without feeling like you've hiked round a warehouse. The walls are clever about what they showcase, and the quality is genuine.

This works best for anyone with a serious interest in contemporary art rather than casual browsers. If you're the type to spend time reading the artist statements and thinking about what you're looking at, you'll get real value. Families with teenagers into visual work will find something worth discussing. Young children will likely find it dull after ten minutes, to be honest.

Staying at one of the nearby parks - Woodsworth Exploring or Upwood Holiday Park are both within walking distance - makes it a proper day out. Pair it with a wander around Keighley's mill architecture and you've got a solid cultural afternoon. The town itself has recovered some swagger in recent years, and the gallery's part of that shift.

Details are thin on the ground online, so ring ahead to check opening hours and whether there's an admission charge. It's worth the leg work to confirm before you go.