Northern Lights Gallery

The Northern Lights Gallery sits quietly in Keswick, a proper spot if you're after contemporary art without the stuffiness you'd get in Manchester or Liverpool. It's a working gallery focused on modern pieces - painting, sculpture, photography - and the kind of place where you can actually have a chat with the artists if you time it right.

You're looking at a couple of hours maximum here, which makes it ideal as a rainy-day break when you're camping at Keswick Camping and Caravanning Club or the sprawling Castlerigg Hall just up the road. The gallery won't exhaust you, and there's enough to occupy anyone with a genuine interest in contemporary work. Kids might find it a bit slow unless they're the type who actually engage with art rather than just tolerating it.

Worth checking ahead for opening times and current exhibitions - gallery hours can be erratic, and you don't want to turn up from Threlkeld Hall or Ewe Love Camping Pods only to find them closed. Admission details aren't always clear from a distance, so a quick phone call is sensible.

It works well as a counterpoint to the Lakes' relentless focus on walking and outdoor pursuits. You get your fill of mountain air, then retreat indoors for something completely different. Keswick itself handles this balance well - you're never far from either the galleries or the peaks.