Panel Gallery

Panel Gallery sits in Northampton, a proper contemporary art space that punches above its weight for a Midlands town. It's a working studio and exhibition venue rolled into one - you'll find actual artists in residence alongside rotating shows of painting, sculpture, and installation work. The kind of place where you can watch someone in the middle of creating something rather than just staring at finished pieces behind velvet ropes.

It appeals most to anyone with a genuine interest in contemporary practice - not the Instagram-it-and-move-on crowd, but people who want to understand what artists are actually doing right now. The intimacy of the space means you get proper access to work and often the chance to chat with makers themselves. That's rare and genuinely valuable.

If you're staying at one of the nearby parks - Billing Aquadrome is only 2.5 miles away, Overstone Lakes not much further - Panel Gallery makes a brilliant half-day cultural break from the lakes and leisure facilities. You won't need more than ninety minutes here, which works perfectly alongside a park holiday where you're mixing outdoor activities with occasional indoor pursuits.

The specifics on entry fees and exact opening hours aren't pinned down here, so check ahead before you visit. Worth the short drive from your caravan park though, especially if you're the type who'd rather see living artists at work than another museum display.