William Wharton

The William Wharton gallery sits quietly in Durham, a space dedicated to this particular artist's work without the fanfare you'd expect from somewhere more famous. It's the sort of place locals know about and visitors stumble upon by accident - which, honestly, is often when you find the best art experiences.

What you're looking at depends entirely on what's on show, but the gallery focuses on Wharton's output across different periods and mediums. It's intimate rather than sprawling, so you won't need half a day here - more like an hour, maybe ninety minutes if you're the type to read every label and sit with pieces for a while. The space itself has that particular quality of independent galleries in market towns: serious about the work, zero pretension.

It works best for people with a genuine interest in contemporary or modern art rather than casual browsers. If you're camping at one of the nearby sites - Finchale Abbey is closest at just over three miles - it makes for a proper rainy-day option or a cultural break between walking. Durham Grange, another couple of miles on, gives you easy access too.

Durham itself rewards an afternoon's wandering, so you could easily slot this gallery visit into a wider exploration of the city's architecture and riverside walks. Check ahead for opening hours and whether there's an admission charge - independent galleries vary wildly on both counts, and you'll want to know before you make the trip into town.