Ascot Studios Art Gallery

Ascot Studios Art Gallery sits just outside Preston and makes for a straightforward detour if you're based at one of the caravan parks dotted around Lancashire - Dale Hey Farm or Northwood are practically on the doorstep. It's a working artist space and exhibition venue combined, so you get to see actual creative types at it rather than just finished pieces behind glass.

The gallery itself focuses on contemporary work, with rotating exhibitions that change regularly enough to warrant a return visit if you're staying for more than a few days. The space has that lived-in feel of a proper studio rather than a corporate white-box gallery - a bit rough around the edges, which is either refreshing or underwhelming depending on what you're after. It's definitely worth an hour of your time if you're into art, though you won't need much longer than that unless there's a major installation on.

Families with younger kids might find it less engaging than a bigger museum, but teenagers who actually care about art will appreciate the rawness of it. There's no pretension here - it's artists showing their work, not curators trying to make you feel stupid.

Admission details and opening hours aren't readily available online, so ring ahead before you visit - nothing worse than turning up to find it closed. If you're camping at Beacon Fell View or any of the Wigwam sites nearby, it's a quick drive over and beats another afternoon at the arcade.