The Triangle Gallery

The Triangle Gallery sits just outside Colchester, a contemporary art space that punches well above its weight for a small Essex venue. Inside you'll find rotating exhibitions featuring emerging and established artists, with the kind of thoughtful curation you'd expect from somewhere with genuine passion rather than just passing trade.

It's the sort of place that rewards a proper look round - give yourself at least ninety minutes if you're taking it seriously, though you could breeze through in forty minutes if you're just after a quick browse. The space itself is intimate without feeling cramped, and the programme tends toward contemporary visual art rather than historical pieces.

Families with older kids might get something from it, but younger children will likely lose patience quickly. This is really one for people who actually care about art - whether that's collectors scouting for new work or just folk who enjoy spending a Saturday afternoon looking at something that makes them think.

If you're basing yourself at one of the nearby parks - Colchester Country Park is closest at just under three miles, though the Mersea options (West Mersea Holiday Park and Mersea Barns) are marginally further - it's worth adding to your itinerary without planning your entire trip around it. Colchester itself has plenty more to keep you occupied, so slot this in alongside a walk around the castle grounds or a poke around the high street. The gallery makes for a decent rainy-day option too, which in Essex is worth knowing.