8 Of The Best Art Galleries To Visit Outside Of London
London undeniably holds some of the world’s finest art spaces, counting heavyweights like the V&A and National Portrait Gallery alongside refreshed icons such as The Courtauld. However, the rest of the UK also has plenty to offer. From Margate’s beloved Turner Contemporary to Liverpool’s celebrated waterfront institutions, here are 8 to add to your list.
Turner Contemporary
Perched directly over Margate’s crashing waves, this sleek David Chipperfield pavilion sits right where J.M.W. Turner used to look out at the English Channel. The interior galleries take full advantage of that celebrated coastal light, offering wide panoramic views that blur the boundary between the art and the tide. On the calendar right now is Sophie Calle’s major UK institutional showcase, Something Missing?, bringing her sharp conceptual wit to the seaside. Margate itself buzzes around it, so you can easily step straight from the gallery into the harbour arm’s wine bars.
Where: Rendezvous, Margate CT9 1HG
Website: www.turnercontemporary.com
The Women’s Art Collection
Tucked away in Cambridge, this extraordinary collection occupies the soaring brutalist halls of Murray Edwards College. It quietly stands as Europe’s largest dedicated display of modern and contemporary art made by women, featuring canvases and prints by legends like Paula Rego and Maggi Hambling. The current exhibition, What Remains, marks forty years since the collection began with works exploring memory, residency, and historical archives.
Where: Murray Edwards College, Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, CB3 0DF
Website: www.murrayedwards.com
Walker Art Gallery
Liverpool’s grand William Brown Street museum has long been revered by painters for holding the biennial John Moores Painting Prize. The permanent collection holds its own against any national institution, spanning Victorian epics, Pre-Raphaelite masterworks, and Lucian Freud portraits. Coming up on the calendar is The Shape of a Room, a solo showcase of new paintings by Ally Fallon, the youngest ever winner of the John Moores Prize.
Where: William Brown St, Liverpool L3 8EL
Website: www.walkerartgallery.com
Hauser and Wirth
Durslade Farm in Bruton rewrote the playbook on what a countryside arts compound could actually look like. The Swiss mega-gallery weaves contemporary sculpture into rustic stone barns and a world-class perennial meadow designed by Piet Oudolf. The gallery is currently spotlighting the geometric drawings of Emma Kunz, whose spiritual grid-based works feel attuned to the rural setting. Once you have taken in the spaces, head across the courtyard to Da Costa for seasonal plates and a spritz, followed by a stroll through the farm shop.
Where: Durslade Farm, Dropping Ln, Bruton BA10 0NL
Website: www.hauserandwirth.com
Martin Parr Foundation
Located in Bristol’s Paintworks creative quarter, this space is the undisputed headquarters for anyone passionate about British documentary photography. It holds an impressive archive of prints and photobooks collected by Martin Parr, celebrating post-war social realism and everyday street life. The gallery is currently staging Dark Tales: British Documentary Photography and the Gothic, exploring the eerie, theatrical undercurrents found in British life through works by photographers like Jo Spence. Round out the visit by checking out the Royal Photographic Society next door before grabbing a wood-fired pizza and a pint across the courtyard.
Where: Paintworks, 316, Arno’s Vale, Bristol BS4 3AR
Website: www.martinparrfoundation.com
Open Eye Gallery
Over on Liverpool’s Mann Island, Open Eye makes its home inside an angular waterfront building that frames the historic docks. Since the late seventies, the venue has treated photography as a catalyst for conversation, leaning heavily into documentary work, regional history, and community storytelling. Taking over the gallery space is Fractured Landscapes and how we heal, a powerful new showcase examining how communities reconnect with threatened environments. Its position right on the Mersey puts you within an easy walk of the city’s best independent coffee spots.
Where: Waterfront, 19 Mann Island, Liverpool L3 1BP
Website: www.openeyegallery.com
The Holburne Museum
Bath has plenty of classical architecture, but this grand building at the end of Great Pulteney Street smartly blends Georgian grandeur with a modern ceramic-and-glass rear wing. While the outside now serves as Lady Danbury’s estate in the Netflix series Bridgerton, the inside is home to historic fine art. It is an easy walk through Sydney Gardens afterwards, making it ideal for an afternoon wander.
While the outside now serves as Lady Danbury’s estate in the Netflix series Bridgerton, the inside is home to historic fine art.
Where: Great Pulteney St, Bathwick, Bath BA2 4DB
Website: www.holburnemuseum.com
Impressions Gallery
Founded back in the early seventies, this pioneering venue in Bradford was one of the very first European institutions dedicated entirely to photography. It built its reputation by championing socially engaged documentary photography, particularly from female and working-class image-makers. Bradford’s wider independent arts scene also makes it well worth the train ride up north.
Where: 1 Piece Hall Yard, Bradford BD1
Website: www.impressionsgallery.com
