Westover Gallery

Westover Gallery sits in Christchurch, a proper little corner of Dorset that doesn't shout about itself. It's a working gallery space - the kind where you might catch artists actually making things - and it focuses on contemporary work from regional talent. Nothing too conceptual or difficult here; mostly painting, sculpture, and crafts that speak for themselves.

The gallery itself is intimate rather than sprawling. You're not trudging through endless rooms. A visit takes forty minutes to an hour, which is about right before you head into Christchurch's high street for lunch. It works well if you're the sort who likes supporting local makers and want to see what's actually being created in the region rather than what's been shipped down from London.

Families with older kids who don't mind a quiet browse will be fine, but younger children will get restless quickly - there's not much interactive about it. The real draw is for anyone with a genuine interest in contemporary Southwest art and craft. It's the kind of place that rewards a proper look rather than a rushed skim.

Meadowbank Holidays sits just 3.6 miles away, making Westover Gallery an easy add-on to a park-based break. If you're based at Sandhills six miles out, it's still only a short drive into town. Neither park is a massive trek to reach the gallery, so you can slot it into a morning or afternoon without faffing about too much.