Polar Bear

The Polar Bear gallery sits in Whitby, that atmospheric coastal town that inspired Dracula and still feels like it's got secrets tucked into its cobbled streets. This is a proper art space - the kind of place locals actually use, not a tourist trap masquerading as culture. You'll find contemporary work alongside more established pieces, and the gallery has a genuine eye for what it shows. It's not massive, so you won't need more than an hour unless you're the type who reads every label and sits on benches thinking about colour theory.

It works best for anyone who actually cares about visual art rather than ticking boxes. Families with younger kids might find it a bit quiet unless they're already gallery-trained. The beauty of basing yourself at one of the nearby caravan parks - Whitby Holiday Park is barely a mile away, or Northcliffe if you want something rated even higher - is that you can duck into galleries like this between the beach, the abbey ruins, and the fish and chips without it feeling like an expedition.

Whitby itself is the real draw, mind. The gallery is a bonus, a way to spend a rainy afternoon or a quiet morning before the crowds hit the harbour. Since opening hours aren't always advertised online, ring ahead before you visit. Admission details are similarly elusive, but independent galleries in market towns like this often charge nothing or ask for a small donation. Either way, it fits neatly into a coastal break without demanding much planning.