Salthouse Gallery

The Salthouse Gallery sits in St Ives, that busy coastal town where half the visitors seem to be looking for art and the other half looking for somewhere to park. This one's housed in what was actually a salt store - hence the name - and it's been converted into exhibition space that punches above its weight for a place this size.

Inside you'll find contemporary work, usually a mix of painting, sculpture, and installation pieces. The space itself matters as much as what's on the walls - original timber beams, whitewashed stone, the lot. It's the sort of place where you can spend twenty minutes or two hours depending on what's showing and how much you fancy standing about contemplating things.

Art types and photographers will get the most from it, though families with older kids won't feel out of place either. Young children might get restless, if I'm honest - there's not much to do hands-on. The beauty is that it's free to wander in, though you might feel obliged to buy something from the small shop if you've been lingering for ages.

If you're camped at Polmanter Touring Park just down the road, or at Haven Riviere Sands, you can pop in without making it a day trip. St Ives pulls in the crowds, especially in summer, so come midweek if you can and arrive early. The gallery gives you breathing space from the seafront madness - proper useful when the beaches are rammed.