Xylophone

The Xylophone gallery sits within easy reach of Harrogate, making it a solid pit stop if you're caravan-based at Rudding Holiday Park or Harrogate Caravan Park. It's a working gallery rather than a museum - the sort of place where you can actually watch craftspeople at it, which beats standing behind velvet ropes any day.

What you're looking at is contemporary art with a focus on pieces that engage the senses. The space itself is intimate; you won't spend three hours here, but that's rather the point. Most visitors clock forty minutes to an hour, which works nicely as a break between exploring Harrogate proper and heading back to your pitch. Kids tend to respond well to the interactive elements, though if you're travelling with very small ones, don't expect them to stay engaged for long.

Admission details aren't entirely clear from their end, so ring ahead before making the trip. Harrogate's close enough that you could combine this with a walk around Valley Gardens or a proper afternoon tea in town. The Knaresborough Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite is only a few miles further on if you're planning a wider loop through North Yorkshire.

Worth the detour? If you're into contemporary work and want something off the standard tourist trail, yes. If you're purely after big-name galleries or historical collections, you might find it a touch underwhelming. Check their opening hours first - it's not somewhere you'll want to turn up on a whim.