A top class art gallery in the middle of nowhere - what's not to like?! Hauser & Wirth is a…read moreleading gallery for contemporary and modern art with well established outlets in Zurich, London, New York and LA. I love the fact that they took over an old farm in Somerset and turned it into an oasis of calm and beauty. The current exhibition by Pipilotti Rist (till Feb 2015) alone is worth the trip. One of her video and sound installations is presented in a big room where visitors are asked to take off their shoes and settle on one of the fluffy sheep skins dotted around the floor - the most comfortable exhibition I have ever visited! There's also a lovely shop with local artisan products and a restaurant/bar - enough to keep you busy for most of the day.

A fascinating museum to visit, not least because of the memorabilia connected to the novelist,…read moreThomas Hardy. In fact, this is largest Hardy collection in the world, left to the museum by his wife. There is a reconstruction of his study, with his desk, pens (each one inscribed by him with the name of the novel he wrote with it!) and his musical instruments too. This 'room' is behind glass and illuminated by gentle lamp light as it would have been in those days. Although the public are not usually allowed to enter and touch things, my husband (who is blind) was allowed inside to feel the desk and chair, and to hold the pens, violin and other things too. We appreciated this very much - the staff were very helpful indeed and went out of their way to make this an enjoyable experience in many ways. Recommended!

The Brook Gallery, tucked around the corner from the sea-front at Budleigh Salterton in East Devon,…read moreis an asset hereabouts and, through its wesbite, much further afield too. Concentrating on original prints, it has over the years brought some of the most exciting and distinguished images to this lovely town. I've always found the people at the Brook friendly, informed and committed to their part of the art market. Go there to just look: there's no hard-sell. Go there to buy and I've found the prices reasonable and the works well worth it.

From the owner: Brook Gallery specialises in Original Print, and represents some of the most influential artists in…read morethe UK today. Beautifully presented, collectable artwork that you love to live with, incorporating everything from historical treasures to modern masterpieces.

This really is aimed at very young kids, no actual lifesize dinosaur skeletons it's all made of…read moreplastic, however if you've got young kids they will enjoy the hands on games and things to do. Good gift shop, joint ticket will get you into the terracotta warrior exhibition and the teddy bear museum.

AVOID - DO NOT GO TO THIS PLACE -AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE - awful place rather have burnt a twent quid…read morenote cost just over 19 pounds to get in for 2 adults and 1 child - and my 3 bedroom house was bigger,in and out in ten minutes,there is nothing award winning about this place at all,looks like the local school have stuck a few plastic animals to the walls and done some paper mache stuff its so awful and out of date,that for the price we paid we were ripped off-this place should be shut down,i would have been really annoyed if we drove all the way from bristol for 10 minutes in this place,but we decided to give it a go as we were in the area that day-never will be writing to the owner - read trip adviser website also if you dont believe me,no one has a good word to say about it... save your money for a proper musuem like the natural history musuem in london ,or even bristol musuem - both are free,and much better !

Over 60 stunning installations set in an estate park plus an award-winning gallery and artist's…read morehouse housing a programme of exhibitions. Roche Court is open daily and is free although a donation to Salisbury Hospice (optional) is suggested. Groups and schools should call ahead and book. View works by the likes of Anthony Caro, Anthony Gormley, Gavin Turk, Eva Rothschild, Michael Hischer, Alison Crowley, Bill Woodrow and many more. All works are for sale and you are requested not to take photographs.

This is a gorgeous art gallery/shop in Beer, on the Devon coast…read more Beer is a lovely little fishing village, relatively untouched by mass tourism (it's too difficult to access for big bus loads). The pebble beach is idyllic, and you can watch fishing boats coming back with their catch - which they also sell there and then. Back to the gallery: they have 2 outlets in the village, the Steam Gallery and the Marine House. Both display work from local artists, and the quality is very high (so are some prices). We found the most exquisite hand blown glass pieces, which would not be out of place in the most expensive shops in London. Beer itself is worth a visit for its quaint, quiet and authentic atmosphere; and whilst you are there, these two artshops should be on your list.

The Steam Gallery in the pretty East Devon fishing village of Beer is a good place to browse for…read moregifts or that special treat for yourself. The gallery is housed in several rooms on the ground floor of what was once a house. It is the sister gallery to Marine House, which is situated further down the road towards the sea. The Steam Gallery has less traditional paintings than Marine House, although there is plenty on the walls often the emphasis is on sculpture and 3 dimensional work. Last time I visited there was a lot of glass sculpture on display, and there is usually jewellery and pottery too. Original artwork by local artists.

The Art House is somewhere I make sure I frequent every time I'm in Southampton town centre. With…read moretheir vast selection of teas, coffees and vegan food - it's a great little place to grab something light in a pleasant atmosphere. I've never eaten a meal here however I've only heard good things, but what I will say is that their coffee is divine! You can choose from Italian and Colombian roast which comes in a cafetiere which keeps it fresher for longer. At the back of the shop you can find a small shop featuring clothes, jewellery, pins and many other kooky bits and bobs for reasonable prices. The teas, coffee, cakes and food are all reasonably priced too. Thoroughly recommended!

During a cheeky little surprise trip to Southampton last weekend, I was taken to The Art House by…read morethe birthday boy himself! This is definitely the coolest place we saw in Southampton! Nestled in the Cultural Quarter, it oozes intriguing art vibes with its quirky decor, vegan menu and vast array of teas and hot drinks. The staff are great, especially their amazing dress sense (not sure if they're just *that* cool or its part of a uniform?....) and the Southampton Fog I had was delicious! At the back of the cafe you'll find a funky little second hand shop, all you need to kit yourself out like a trendy staff member! And in the front they're turned the windows into exhibition booths for you to sit and have tea and watch the world go by (or be watched by the world!) This place is right up my street, if I lived in Southampton I'd definitely make it a regular haunt, and for those that are thinking of visiting this port city of recommended heading there as soon as you get off the train!

A great addition to Teignmouth, lovely paintings but also very affordable gifts. I especially like…read morethe glass lightcatchers.

Fantastic place to take the whole family. Completely accessible by wheelchair and has good toilet…read morefacitilities. This has been voted top tourist attraction in Devon many times and well deserves this honoured title. A great place depicting fantasy lands, Victorian times, war torn times and much much more you will love it.

Very cluttered and you really have to look hard to see the interesting things amongst all the junk…read more Alot of the penny arcade machines were out of order or take your money but then did not work. Overall it was a positive experience for me and my 8 year old son. However it was not half as good as Flambards which is a similar attraction and the ticket price was very high.