Shieldfield Art Works

What it’s like

Free oil painting sessions and changing art exhibitions in a small community gallery, with gardening sessions running alongside in warmer months.

This is a small community gallery rather than a big attraction, and that's part of the appeal if you want a quieter hour with no entry fee. There are free oil painting sessions to join, so if your child has ever asked to have a proper go with real paint rather than the washable stuff, this is the place. Alongside that there are community gardening sessions, though those pause over winter, and the gallery itself runs changing art exhibitions worth a wander round while you're there.

The catch is that opening hours depend entirely on whether an exhibition is currently running. When something's on, it's open Tuesday to Thursday, 11am to 4pm, plus specific Saturdays from 1pm to 4pm. Between exhibitions, or when the space is booked for a private event, it closes and the office isn't staffed, so this isn't one to turn up to on spec without checking what's currently showing.

It's free, indoors, and low-key enough that you could pair a visit with something else nearby rather than building a whole day around it. There's no booking system to worry about, no fee to weigh up, just the question of whether it's actually open that week.

Plan your visit

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