Neweira Gallery

The Neweira Gallery sits quietly in Warlingham, the sort of place you might walk past without noticing if you weren't looking for it. It's a proper art space - the kind that punches above its weight in terms of what's on the walls. The gallery rotates contemporary work, which means you could visit twice in a month and see something completely different. Local artists feature heavily, but they're not afraid to bring in emerging talent from further afield.

This is the spot for anyone who takes their art seriously but doesn't want the stuffiness of a major institution. You'll find painters, sculptors, occasionally installation pieces - the programme is refreshingly unpredictable. It's not a half-hour visit; if you're genuinely interested, you could easily spend an hour or more. The space itself is intimate rather than grand, which actually works in its favour. There's real conversation between the viewer and the work.

Worth timing around if you're staying at Milberry Green Meadows just down the road - the gallery's close enough that you could pop in on an afternoon without it eating into your park time. Check ahead though; hours can be spotty for smaller galleries, and admission details aren't always hammered out online. Ring ahead before making the trip. If contemporary art matters to you, it's well worth tracking down. If you're after a quick tourist tick-box, you'll feel the time dragging.