Birmingham is buzzing with activity as the Commonwealth Games are in full swing.
Britain’s second largest city is the region’s vibrant hub, but there’s no shortage of places to explore in the surrounding area.
Head south on the M5, M42 and M40 to see rolling hills, historic sites and the footsteps of famous people who shaped the world.
As the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, the influence of once-big industry remains strong throughout the region. Home to the Severn Valley Railway, Kidderminster has a carpet museum dedicated to the manufacturing industry that once dominated the small Worcestershire town. The story is also told at the Mill Needle Forge Museum in Redditch, next to the ruins of a medieval Cistercian monastery. The history of Victorian needle making there.
The world’s largest collection of historic British cars at the British Motor Museum in Warwickshire reflects the West Midlands’ status as the center of the British car industry.
Other transport-related collections can be found at the Kidderminster Railway Museum. The roundhouse of the Severn Valley Railway in Shropshire. Coventry Transport Museum and the National Motorcycle Museum in Solihull.
Among the many historic buildings, especially in the Worcestershire and Warwickshire countryside, is Hanbury Hall, an impressive country house, gardens and park in the style of William and Mary, near Droiwich Spa. Croom, on the other hand, has a park and walled garden on the other side of Worcester.
For the great Warwickshire trio, Cotton Court is a stunning Tudor house near Alcester, while Badsley Clinton is a hilltop mansion near Packwood House.
Kinver Edge’s modest rock house (a ‘cottage’ carved out of the sandstone hills near Stourbridge) survived into the 1960s.
South of Birmingham, the Crent Hills offer spectacular views of the city and Black Country, as well as the Malvern Hills. Wire Forest is the largest native forest in England.
Chadesley Woods, the second largest forest area in Worcestershire, dating back to the 13th century, stretches across the Midlands, from open meadows (Windmill Hill, near Alcester) to rubbish dumps (Goldicote Railroad Cut, Stratford-upon, near Avon). of dozens of nature reserves in .).
Leamington has a small gallery/museum with temporary exhibits (now featuring forgotten Pre-Raphaelite artists), gardens, and many bars and restaurants. The spa town is also home to the 2022 Birmingham Lawn Bowling Tournament.
Warwick
Distance from Birmingham: about 30 miles.
How to get there: Regular trains from Birmingham Moor Street and Snow Hill stations. It takes about 30 minutes.
why did you visit The small market town of Warwick is dominated by Warwick Castle. Warwick Castle is one of the largest (and most popular) fortified castles in England. Evolving from a wooden castle, it was built of stone in the 12th century and stands on a bend in the River Avon.
The castle’s main attractions include the Kingmaker, where you explore the preparations for battle during the Wars of the Roses, and the Great Hall, which houses an impressive collection of weapons and armor.
There are also life-size replica trebuchets (giant catapults used to attack seemingly impregnable fortresses) and live shows (for younger visitors) featuring colorful dragons and hair-raising narrative mazes.
There are also birds of prey, hilarious knights, great archery displays, and an immersive journey through the castle’s magnificent dungeons.
If you have time after your castle adventures, other attractions in the surrounding towns include the Market Hall Museum (with exhibits on geology, natural history, and urban history) and Churchill’s Queen’s Royal Lighthouse. There is also a cavalry museum. The nearby town is the Royal Leamington Spa.
Stratford-upon-Avon
Distance from Birmingham: About 30-39 miles.
How to get there: A direct train from Birmingham Snow Hill takes approximately 45-55 minutes.
why did you visit The birthplace of the bard himself, the city is a sanctuary for all things William Shakespeare and has several establishments under the banner of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust that explore life in the playwright’s time.
These include Anne Hathaway’s Cottage (her husband’s childhood home), New Place (where William died in 1616), his childhood home, and Shakespeare’s birthplace. , and others, to save buildings from collapse.
Other parts of the city include the Tudor School Hall, Holy Trinity Church (where William and Anne are buried), and the impressive Tudor World. The Royal Shakespeare Theater on the banks of the River Avon is where the RSC continues to breathe new life into the works of Shakespeare. They often feature the names of some of the most successful actors and perform in multiple venues.
They also produce new productions unrelated to The Bard and run daily theatrical tours giving guests behind-the-scenes access.
Kids will love a trip to Stratford-upon-Avon’s butterfly farm, known as “Britain’s largest tropical butterfly haven,” and the Museum of Mechanical Arts and Design.
A few miles away is the National Trust’s Charcote Park. Located on the banks of the River Avon, this large Victorian country house is set in 280 acres of picturesque parkland.
Worcester
Distance from Birmingham: about 25-30 miles
How to get there: Regular trains from Birmingham New Street to Foregate Street and Worcester Shrub Hill in central Worcester (just minutes from the city centre). Travel time is approximately 40 to 70 minutes.
why did you visit Construction of Worcester Cathedral, a cathedral city, began in 1084, but the city has had a bishopric since the 7th century.
Overlooking the River Severn, the imposing cathedral is the tomb of the unpopular King John (brother of Richard the Lionheart and villain of all the Robin Hood stories) and Prince Arthur (Henry, who died aged 15, was the son of VIII). Just a few months after their marriage) See also the Norman crypt of St. Wolfstan, the medieval cloisters and the magnificent Victorian stained glass windows.
Other must-sees in the city include the Royal Worcester Museum, which houses the world’s largest collection of Worcester porcelain (produced in the city from 1751 to 2008), and the headquarters, which was the royal headquarters during the English Civil War . in. The final battle of the war at Worcester.
More recent military history is documented at the Worcester City Museum and Art Gallery, which houses exhibits dedicated to the Worcestershire Regiment and the Worcestershire Yeomanry Cavalry.
The gallery’s latest temporary exhibition, The Magic of Middle-earth, is dedicated to Birmingham-raised Lord of the Rings author JRR Contains Articles. , explores his continuing legacy.
Elsewhere, the George Marshall Medical Museum showcases nearly 250 years of health and medicine, while Greyfriars House and Gardens and the Tudor House Museum offer a glimpse of old Worcester.
If the weather is nice, a walk along the River Severn is also a pleasant pastime.
Hereford
Distance from Birmingham: about 60-78 miles
How to get there: A direct train journey from Birmingham New Street takes approximately 1.5 hours.
why did you visit West of the Malvern Hills, Hereford is on the Loop of the River Wye. A particularly impressive cathedral is the Hereford Mappa Mundi. Dating back nearly 1,300 years, it is an amazing account of the world and how people saw it in the 14th century.
A 1.58m x 1.33m map on a single sheet of calfskin (vellum), with Jerusalem at the center of the world, showing major cities and towns, events, wildlife (both real and imagined), and people There are 500 drawings that I have drawn. The map is displayed along with more than 200 illuminated manuscripts and more than 1,200 old printed books.
The cathedral also houses a 1217 revision of the historic Magna Carta. Translated as the Great Charter, this document is considered the basis of English common law.
Another place to visit in the city is the Black and White House, also known as the Old House, a half-timbered Jacobean house that tells four centuries of local history. A former saddlery, fish and hardware store and later a bank, it was converted into a museum during the interwar period.
On the other hand, along the River Wye, west of the center of Hereford, are the Wye Gardens.
The riverside gardens, where fishing, boating and swimming have been practiced for centuries, are filled with wildflowers and are perfect for a quiet picnic.
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Source: Metro
I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
