Oxford Sundial

You'll find this curious gallery tucked away in Kidlington, just north of Oxford proper. The Oxford Sundial is less about time-keeping and more about contemporary art and craft - it's a working exhibition space that celebrates everything from sculpture to textiles, with a real emphasis on pieces that catch the light (hence the name, apparently). The space itself is intimate; you're not wandering round some vast white cube here, just a proper sized room where you can actually see what the artists are doing.

It works best for anyone interested in contemporary visual culture who doesn't want the stuffiness of a traditional gallery. Art students, curious locals, and anyone killing time between Oxford and Birmingham will find something worth an hour here. The admission policy and opening hours can be a bit fluid - it's worth ringing ahead from Kidlington rather than making the journey and finding it closed.

If you're basing yourself at Common Leys Farm or Greenhill Leisure Park - both solid caravan parks within six miles - this makes for a gentle morning outing before heading into Oxford itself. It's the kind of place that appeals to adults far more than children, unless your kids are genuinely into contemporary art. On a grey day when you can't face a major museum, it's worth knowing about. Not life-changing, but absolutely the sort of local discovery that makes a holiday feel less generic.