Weidman Glass

You'd be forgiven for walking past Weidman Glass in Benfleet without realising what's inside. It's a working gallery and studio space dedicated to contemporary glass art - the sort of place where you can actually watch artisans creating pieces rather than just staring at finished work behind velvet ropes.

The studio showcases everything from sculptural installations to functional glassware, and there's real craft on display. If you catch an artist at work, you'll see how they handle the material - it's hypnotic stuff. The pieces tend toward the modern and experimental rather than traditional paperweights and decorative trinkets, which keeps it interesting even if you're not a devoted glass enthusiast.

Allow an hour, maybe ninety minutes if you're genuinely absorbed. It works well for curious adults and teenagers with an interest in making or design, though younger kids might find it a bit slow unless they're particularly patient. Solo visitors and couples will get far more out of it than families with restless toddlers.

The gallery doesn't charge admission as far as we can tell, though opening hours aren't widely publicised - ring ahead before you trek out. Benfleet itself is fairly unremarkable, but it's well-positioned between the three decent campsites in the area: Stuarts Wood and Essex Glamping both score highly, while Barleylands offers good value if you're camping proper. Makes for a decent cultural pit stop between pitching your tent and exploring the wider Essex coast.