Ting

You'll find Ting tucked away in Deal, a gallery that punches above its weight for a coastal town of this size. It's the sort of space that takes contemporary art seriously without any of the pretension you'd get in London - the kind of place where you can actually have a conversation with whoever's running it that day.

The gallery itself focuses on contemporary work, rotating exhibitions that lean towards painting, sculpture and installation. It's intimate rather than vast, which means you're not wandering for hours trying to work out what you're meant to feel. Most visits take thirty minutes to an hour, depending on what's on and how much you want to linger. There's real thought behind the curation, and it genuinely feels like the work matters to the people running it.

For art-minded types staying at one of the nearby parks - Kingsdown Camping is just three miles away, or if you're after something fancier there's Ham Hideaway Glamping at 3.6 miles - Ting makes a proper detour on a rainy afternoon or as part of an amble through Deal's old town. The town itself has enough going on with independent shops and decent cafes that you won't feel like you've wasted the trip if the current show isn't your thing.

Admission details are a bit murky online, so ring ahead or swing by - it's Deal, not Manhattan, so they're bound to be reasonable. If you're staying local and want something beyond beach walks, it's well worth an hour of your time.