The Deerstalker

The Deerstalker is a proper art gallery tucked away in Exeter's creative quarter, and it's one of those places that rewards a casual wander. Inside you'll find contemporary work alongside more established pieces - the kind of space where the walls change regularly enough that repeat visits actually make sense. It's not massive, which is rather the point. You can take it in properly without that gallery fatigue that hits around painting number forty-seven.

The crowd here tends toward people who actually care about what they're looking at rather than ticking boxes. Artists and serious collectors drift through, but it's never unwelcoming - the staff know their stuff and aren't the type to make you feel small for asking questions. Most people spend forty-five minutes to an hour browsing, depending on how deep you want to go with each piece.

It works brilliantly as a break from outdoor activities if you're based at one of the nearby parks - Devon Heaven Hideaways is only four miles out, so you could do a morning's walk, lunch in the city, then slip into the gallery for an hour without any faffing about. Entry details are worth checking before you go, as opening hours do shift seasonally.

If you're into contemporary art and enjoy discovering work beyond the obvious circuit, this is worth the trip into Exeter. If you're here purely for the Instagram factor, you might find it low-key to the point of disappointment.