Padarn Pottery

The pottery studio sits just outside Caernarfon, where you can watch craftspeople actually at work rather than simply admiring finished pieces behind glass. What you get is the real deal - a working gallery where the clay is still wet and the kilns still warm. You'll see pots being thrown, glazed, and fired, which beats a static display any day.

It's aimed squarely at people who care about how things are made. If your idea of a good time is chatting to the potter about their process and perhaps buying a one-off mug or bowl, you'll find it absorbing. Kids under ten might lose interest after fifteen minutes, but teenagers with any creative bent will find it more engaging than yet another gift shop.

The location is brilliant for a caravan holiday in the area. You're within easy reach of Llanberis Touring Park and the glamping options nearby, and Snowdon View Holiday Park sits just three miles away if you're after something slightly more remote. Pop in as a morning stop before heading up Snowdon or exploring the slate mines - it slots perfectly into a day without demanding hours of your time.

The studio works on a casual drop-in basis from what you can gather locally, though it's worth ringing ahead from Caernarfon to check they're open. Admission shouldn't cost much if anything at all. Give it forty minutes, maximum an hour.