Neptune

Neptune gallery sits right in Durham, a proper contemporary art space that catches a lot of visitors off guard. It's the kind of place where you'll find everything from photography and painting to installation work - the sort of thing that makes you stand still for longer than you expected. The space itself is clean and modern, nothing fussy about it.

You'll get the most from it if you're into visual art without needing everything spelled out. History buffs and casual browsers will find plenty to mull over, though it's not the sort of gallery that dominates an afternoon - expect to spend an hour, perhaps ninety minutes if you're reading the wall texts properly. Families with older kids do fine here; younger ones might lose interest after half an hour.

The real value is in how it slots into a Durham visit. You're minutes from the cathedral and the castle, so you can loop it in with the heavier hitters without any faffing about. If you're based at one of the caravan parks nearby - Durham Grange is closest at just over two miles - you've got a low-pressure way to break up a rainy afternoon or fill an hour between meals.

Check their current programme before you visit; what's on shifts regularly and that'll make or break whether it's worth your time. Free entry is always welcome, assuming that hasn't changed. It's worth knowing about, but don't rearrange your itinerary around it.