Mercury

Mercury is Cambridge's contemporary art gallery, tucked away in the city's creative quarter and well worth an hour or two if you're into modern work. The space itself is refreshingly unpretentious - no velvet ropes or stuffy silences, just good art in a converted building that feels lived-in rather than polished. They rotate exhibitions regularly, so what's on depends entirely on when you visit, but the quality tends toward thought-provoking rather than crowd-pleasing.

It's the sort of place that appeals to actual art types and anyone curious enough to wander in without an agenda. You won't find gift shop tat or queues round the block. Families with teenagers who aren't completely allergic to galleries might find something to discuss, but toddlers will get restless within minutes.

Admission details aren't widely publicised online, so ring ahead or check their website before you go - typical for independent galleries, unfortunately. Allow an hour unless you're really taking time with each piece. Quiet weekday afternoons beat weekends hands down.

If you're camped at Cherry Hinton or the CC site just outside Cambridge, Mercury makes a proper rainy-day alternative to yet another college walk. It's close enough to the city centre that you can combine it with lunch on the Backs or a punt if the mood takes you. Not life-changing, but genuinely worth the detour if you care about what artists are actually doing right now rather than what postcards tell you to like.