Totem Pole

You'll find this gallery tucked away in Warwickshire, just a short drive from Coventry - the sort of place that doesn't announce itself loudly but rewards those who bother to seek it out. The Totem Pole is essentially a contemporary art space where local and emerging artists get proper exhibition space, which matters more than you'd think in a region that doesn't always get the London gallery treatment.

What's on changes regularly, so there's little point turning up expecting the same show twice. The space itself is intimate - you're not wandering through cavernous halls for hours, which is either brilliant or a letdown depending on whether you actually like galleries or just feel obliged to visit them. Allow an hour, maybe ninety minutes if you're the type who reads every label. Photography buffs, printmakers, and anyone after something beyond the usual tourist-trap art circuit will get the most from it.

It's free to wander in, though galleries like this rely on visitors buying work or making donations, so don't be stingy if something speaks to you. The location near Coventry makes it an easy stop if you're based at Somers Wood Caravan Park or Gate Farm - both decent spots for a Warwickshire break. Time your visit for a quiet weekday morning if you prefer contemplative art-gazing without school groups clogging the place up. It's not a day-long destination, but paired with a walk along the Coventry Canal or a proper browse of the city's medieval bits, it slots in nicely.