La Retraite

La Retraite sits quietly in the Leicestershire countryside near Barrow upon Soar, a gallery space that rewards the effort to find it. This isn't a slick commercial venture with PR machine behind it - it's the real thing, a working artist's studio and exhibition space where you can actually see how contemporary art gets made.

The gallery itself occupies a converted period building, and the work on display tends toward painting and sculpture with a serious edge. Expect to spend 45 minutes to an hour here, longer if you strike up conversation with someone who knows the artists. It's intimate rather than grand, which means crowds are never an issue and you get proper time with each piece.

You'll get the most out of La Retraite if you care about contemporary practice and don't mind a bit of seeking out - it's not signposted within an inch of its life like the big museums. It's equally good for anyone who'd rather spend an afternoon in a genuine working space than trudging round a heritage property with a thousand other visitors.

Practical details are thin on the ground, so ringing ahead before the trip is essential - opening hours shift seasonally and admission status isn't clear from afar. If you're based at one of the nearby parks like Proctors Park or High Meadows Farm, it makes a worthwhile half-day diversion that breaks up the standard holiday routine without feeling like hard work.