The Stanley Spencer Gallery

Stanley Spencer painted his way through the 20th century like few artists ever have, and this gallery in Cookham - just outside Marlow - is where you come to understand why he matters. The collection focuses on this Berkshire-born painter's obsession with translating everyday village life into something almost spiritual. You'll see his nudes, his biblical scenes set in local streets, his domestic interiors rendered with an intensity that makes you stare longer than you expect to.

Spencer's work isn't immediately comfortable. His figures are often oddly proportioned, his compositions crowded and strange. But that's precisely what makes him compelling - there's no prettiness here, just raw observation and genuine oddness. The gallery does a solid job of contextualising his life and the village that inspired so much of it; Cookham itself becomes a character in the work.

This is genuinely rewarding for anyone interested in British modernism or 20th-century art. It's not a quick twenty-minute stop - allow a good hour or ninety minutes if you read the labels properly. Families with teenagers who've studied art might find it engaging; younger kids will likely fidget. The gallery itself is modest in scale, which works in its favour.

Marlow sits right on the Thames, so you could easily combine this with a riverside walk or lunch. The caravan parks within a few miles - Hurleyford Farm and Hurley Riverside Park among them - make decent bases for a longer stay exploring the area's galleries and riverside pubs.