WILD STUDIO CORNWALL

A working artist's studio near Polruan that actually lets you watch people create, rather than just gawping at finished pieces behind glass. Wild Studio Cornwall is refreshingly unpretentious - the kind of place where you might catch a painter mid-brushstroke or a sculptor covered in dust, which beats a sterile gallery by miles.

The setup is straightforward: you wander through the studio, see work in progress and completed pieces, and get a real sense of the creative process. It's intimate rather than showy. If you're the type who finds traditional galleries a bit stuffy, or you've got teenagers who claim to hate art but might actually engage with seeing someone actively making it, this could change minds.

You'll want to allow an hour, maybe ninety minutes if you get chatting with the artists - which is entirely possible and rather the point. It's the kind of place where you can ask questions and get proper answers instead of reading a printed card.

For a holiday based around the nearby farms like Tremeer or Par Sands, Wild Studio makes a decent rainy-day diversion or a mid-morning stop if you're exploring that part of the coast. Don't expect a sprawling exhibition space - it's compact, personal, and genuinely working. That's what makes it worth seeking out rather than overlooking for somewhere flashier. Check opening times before you go; artist studios operate on their own schedule.