Ian Grant Design

Ian Grant Design sits in Conwy, a proper working gallery rather than some dusty museum piece. You'll find contemporary craft and design work - the kind of place where you can actually watch artists at it, or at least see pieces that feel like they were made by humans rather than committees. The gallery focuses on Welsh design talent, which means if you're after something genuinely different to take home, this beats the usual gift shop tat by miles.

It's not a huge draw - you won't spend hours here unless you're seriously into contemporary craft. More like a 45-minute stop if you're passing through Conwy anyway, or longer if the current exhibition catches your eye. The real value is that it's free admission (or costs very little - worth checking ahead), so there's no pressure to linger if it's not your thing. Families with young kids might find it a bit quiet, but teenagers who care about design or art will get more from it than they would from another souvenir shop.

If you're based at one of the nearby parks - Golden Sands is closest at under 2 miles - you could easily pop into town for an afternoon. Conwy itself is the draw really: the castle, the walls, the harbour. Ian Grant Design works as a break from tourist overdose rather than a destination in its own right. Worth a wander if you're in the area.