Wisbech Gallery

The Wisbech Gallery sits right in the heart of town, housed in a Victorian building that feels properly proper - all period features and that particular kind of faded grandeur you get in East Anglian market towns. Inside you'll find a rotating collection of paintings, sculptures and decorative arts that punches above its weight for a place this size. The permanent collection leans heavily on British work from the 18th and 19th centuries, which is exactly the sort of thing that works brilliantly if you're genuinely interested in that period - less so if you're hoping for contemporary edge.

It's worth a couple of hours maximum, depending on how deeply you want to look at things. Families with older kids who actually like art will get something from it; small children will probably exhaust their tolerance fairly quickly. The real draw is that it's free, which means you can drop in without commitment while you're exploring Wisbech's town centre.

Timing-wise, go on a weekday morning when it's quiet and you can actually think. Weekends can feel a bit cramped. If you're staying at one of the nearby glamping spots - Glamping with Llamas is barely down the road, or Parklands Holidays if you want something more conventional - this makes a decent rainy-day option. Pair it with a walk along the riverside and a decent lunch somewhere and you've got half a day sorted. On its own it's not a reason to make the journey, but as part of a longer East Anglia trip it's worth the detour.