Swindon Arts Centre

The Arts Centre sits right in Swindon proper, serving up a solid mix of theatre, exhibitions and live music that keeps the town's cultural calendar ticking over. On my last visit, the space felt genuinely welcoming rather than stuffy - the kind of place where you catch everything from contemporary visual art to stand-up comedy without the London price tag attached.

They rotate exhibitions fairly regularly, so what's on depends when you go. The theatre programme tends toward touring productions, amateur dramatics and occasional professional work. Nothing earth-shattering, but dependable programming that works if you're after an evening out. The café does decent coffee and feels like an actual community hub rather than a grudging afterthought.

If you're staying at Nordic Glamping over in Botswicky Copse - which is only about five miles out - the Arts Centre makes a natural rainy-day option or evening destination. Worth checking their website for what's scheduled before you book, because a quiet Tuesday in January is a very different proposition to a Friday with something decent on. Families with teenagers will find more here than younger kids, unless there's a specific show aimed their way.

It's not somewhere you'll spend half a day, but as part of a weekend away in the area, it's a proper addition to the itinerary rather than a tick-box exercise. Free to wander round the foyer, though performances and exhibitions will have their own charges.