Mother and Child

The Mother and Child gallery sits in Sawbridgeworth, a quiet corner of Hertfordshire that doesn't shout about itself. It's a small, intimate space devoted to art exploring the bond between mother and child - works that range from the tender to the raw, depending on who's exhibiting. The gallery itself has that unpretentious feel you get in places that aren't trying to be London, which is rather the point.

This is worth a stop if you're into contemporary art or looking for something thoughtful to do between park visits - Sawbridgeworth isn't exactly heaving with attractions, so it fills a gap nicely. You won't need more than an hour here, even if you're the sort to read every gallery note. It's the kind of place where the work feels accessible rather than gatekept, which helps.

Given that The Wild Retreat at Redricks Lake and Toad Abode are both within a few miles, you could pair a gallery morning with a park afternoon. The area's quiet enough that it actually works as a proper break from the caravan rather than just another tourist tick-box. Fair warning though - opening hours and admission details aren't widely published, so ring ahead before making the trip. Nothing worse than arriving at a gallery to find it shut for a private event or a staff training day.