The Decorative Arts Gallery

Art and craft lovers should make the short trip to St Stephen to see what the Decorative Arts Gallery has on offer. It's a focused space dedicated to applied arts - think ceramics, textiles, metalwork, jewellery and furniture design - rather than paintings and sculpture. The gallery rotates its exhibitions, so what's on depends entirely on when you visit, but the quality of work tends to be strong.

You'll get the most from a visit if you actually care about craft and design. This isn't somewhere to fill an afternoon with kids unless they're already interested in how things are made. Most people spend between 45 minutes and an hour here, depending on how deeply they engage with each piece. It's the sort of place where you notice things - a glaze technique, a joinery detail, how a designer has solved a particular problem.

Admission details aren't widely published online, so ring ahead or check when you're in the area. St Stephen itself is fairly small, so combine this with other attractions if you're basing yourselves at one of the nearby parks. Tremarne is closest at just over a mile, or if you're at Heligan Caravan Park or Pentewan Sands, you're only a short drive away. The Lost Gardens of Heligan makes a natural pairing - both celebrate skill and design, just in different contexts.