Walking Woman

The Walking Woman gallery sits just east of Colchester, a contemporary art space that punches well above its weight for a small Essex venue. You're looking at rotating exhibitions of mostly abstract and figurative work - the kind of place where you might spend anything from 45 minutes to two hours depending on what's on and how much you want to sit with the pieces. The space itself is clean and uncluttered, which means the art does the talking rather than fancy design trying to distract you. It's genuinely worth ringing ahead to check what's showing before you visit, because the programme shifts regularly.

This is best for serious art types rather than casual gallery dabblers - you'll get bored quickly if you're just killing an hour on a rainy afternoon. Families with younger kids probably won't find much to hold their attention here. Opening hours and admission aren't straightforward to pin down online, so contact them direct or check their social media before you go.

If you're based at one of the nearby parks - Colchester Country Park is closest at under two miles away - it makes a decent cultural break from the typical caravan holiday routine. Ardleigh Caravan & Camping Park is a bit further out but gives you more breathing room if you're settling in for a few days. The gallery works best combined with a wander through Colchester itself rather than as a standalone trip, though for art enthusiasts it's absolutely worth the short drive from camp.