Preface to High and Low

The Preface to High and Low is a contemporary art gallery just outside Wantage that punches well above its weight. It's the kind of place you stumble upon by accident - or rather, the kind locals seem to keep close to their chest. The work here tends toward installation and sculpture, with a real focus on how art sits in space. You're not walking into a sprawling museum; it's intimate, which means you actually look at things rather than just wandering past them.

Art types will genuinely love this. The curators clearly know what they're doing - there's thoughtfulness in every show. If you're dragging reluctant teenagers along, give yourself two hours maximum; any longer and you'll lose them. Couples after a cultural fix on a weekend will find it far more rewarding than another National Trust crawl.

The setup works brilliantly if you're based at Evelyns Garden Glamping down the road - it's an easy drive and gives you something to do beyond the immediate area. Wantage itself is unremarkable, but the surrounding countryside around the Vale of the White Horse makes for decent walking if you time it right.

Opening hours and admission prices aren't reliably listed online, so ring ahead or check their website before making the trip. Worth the detour if contemporary work genuinely interests you; skip it if you're after straightforward landscape paintings or sculpture parks.