Westover Gallery

The gallery sits just outside Ringwood, a proper working art space rather than some stuffy museum piece. Local and contemporary work fills the walls - paintings, sculptures, textiles - the sort of stuff that actually makes you stop and look rather than shuffle past politely. You can spend twenty minutes or two hours here depending on what's on and how much you fancy chatting with the artists, who tend to be around.

It's best for anyone who likes visual art without the pretension. Families with older kids who won't lose patience in galleries will find it welcoming enough, though there's nothing specifically laid on for toddlers. The real crowd is art enthusiasts and locals popping in during a Ringwood shopping trip.

Open six days a week (closed Sundays bar 10am-4pm), it won't require advance planning. Admission seems to be free or a small donation - worth calling ahead if you're coming specifically. Allow an hour maximum unless you're genuinely captivated by what's hanging.

Worth combining with a wander round Ringwood's high street, or slot it in as a half-hour break if you're basing yourself at one of the nearby parks like Fernwood Glamping or Forest Edge Holiday Park. The New Forest is barely twenty minutes away, so you could easily tuck this gallery visit into a bigger exploring day without it eating into serious hiking time. It's a nice little breather rather than a main event.