There is a common misconception that the only place to see really interesting exhibitions is London. Of course, the capital is home to the Tate, the National Gallery and the Saatchi Gallery amongst others, but travelling north of Watford doesn’t mean you enter a cultural desert. Far from it – most towns now have an art gallery, and although many stick to the country landscape school of thought, there are some that showcase real talent.

For me there are three galleries that really stand out and that make art more than just a passive experience without being pretentious about it.The first of these is Compton Verney in Warwickshire. It opened in 2004 as the largest art gallery in the county and is actually an old country house with acres of well-kept grounds. What makes this gallery so great is that it has lots to offer. There are six permanent collections and a regularly changing programme of contemporary exhibitions. In the last couple of years Compton Verney has showcased some well-known and very interesting artists.

My favourites were Peter Greenaway and Luc Tuymans whose collections were thought provoking and inspiring in their different ways. And both artists are well-known – proving that the provinces can attract the big names.

But it’s not just the art itself that’s the attraction. Compton Verney is a great place for families and children are well catered for. They can get activity packs from the front desk to help them engage with the exhibitions and to ensure they don’t get bored.There is also a good café and a shop and it’s very possible to spend a good few hours here. In summer when you can picnic in the grounds coming here can be a whole day out.

The only drawback is that you do have to pay (£6 for adults, £4 for concessions and £2 for children), and it is only open from March 31 until November 5. You also need a car to get there.

For more details go to: www.comptonverney.org.uk.

On the other hand if you want something free and a bit easier to get to the Ikon Gallery in Birmingham fits the bill. This gallery exhibits lots of different types of art – painting, sculpture, installation, film, sound and photography. There are no permanent collections so every time you visit you can see something new.

Often the exhibitions can be quite far from what many people would call art. The most memorable example I can think of would be one where a selection of different nuts (from coconuts to almonds) had wheels fixed to them and were arranged on the floor.Even though this might seem like a load of nonsense to some, the point is that the Ikon always exhibits interesting and exciting collections – some you might hate, but others you will love.

It’s definitely an art gallery to make you think and perhaps even broaden your horizons. The Ikon is also a great place to eat – there’s a fantastic tapas bar attached and being just off Brindley Place it’s in a really nice area of the city.For more details go to: www.ikon-gallery.co.uk.

And last but not least, another gallery worth a mention is the Djanogly Art Gallery in Nottingham.

This gallery is on The University of Nottingham’s campus and is affiliated to the Lakeside Arts Centre.

The exhibition space is quite small and is housed in a building that is also home to some university departments. But it doesn’t suffer for being compact – there are still some interesting collections to be seen.

The work is usually of little-known artists and often it has some local interest. But don’t let this put you off – the curator obviously has a good eye and the result is well put together and relevant exhibitions.However, the Djanogly isn’t the place for a day’s intense art appreciation but it is a great place to pass an hour, or even as a stopping off point on your way past Nottingham.

The gallery is free of charge and there is a good café in the same building. You can also look at, and buy, contemporary jewellery made by independent craftsmen.

For more details go to: www.lakesidearts.org.uk.