Heart of England
From a celebrated industrial past to areas of thriving regeneration, the West Midlands covers five of England’s central counties as well as Birmingham and the Black Country. Abbe Bates looks at what each has to offer the group visitor.
Chocolate, ceramics, cider and Shakespeare. These are just a few of the many different connections that the West Midlands has to shout about. Over the following pages, you will find a summary of things for your group to do in the region, with all the attractions mentioned offering group options, ranging from discounted rates to meal packages and out of hours tours.
For specialist knowledge, a good introduction to the region would be to arrange a Blue Badge Tourist Guide from the Heart of England Tourist Guides Association, which encompasses the West Midlands.
Stoke and Staffordshire
The city of Stoke-on-Trent constitutes six separate towns; Tunstall, Burslem, Hanley, Stoke, Fenton and Longton and the area is probably best known for its association with the ceramics industry, hence its alias as ‘The Potteries’.
If your group has a particular penchant for Wedgwood goods, The Wedgwood Visitor Centre celebrates the life of Josiah Wedgwood, the company’s founder. Entry to the Centre can include a self-guided tour of the working factory and joint group offers are available with nearby Trentham.
Beginning a new life in 2003, Trentham, on the outskirts of the city, covers 750 acres, including Italian Gardens, originally created in the 17th century for the Duke of Sutherland. Also at the site is a Retail Village and a garden centre. The site is also home to Trentham Monkey Forest, where visitors can experience walking amongst barbary apes.
The surrounding county of Staffordshire also has plenty to offer the group visitor. For those keen on gardens, there are a number in the area. In the Staffordshire Moorlands – part of the Peak District – The National Trust’s Biddulph Grange Garden is set out in a series of compartments and contains a number of features including upside down trees.
Shugborough Estate, near Stafford, is also owned by The National Trust but maintained by Staffordshire County Council. The attraction includes a 17th century mansion house and a Georgian park farm with costumed characters bringing the estate alive.
Meanwhile, in Burton-upon-Trent, the Coors Visitor Centre & The Museum of Brewing sits alongside the main Coors brewery and offers an insight into the history of brewing in Burton-upon-Trent. Tours of the main brewery are offered.
For groups in search of adreneline fuelled rides, both Alton Towers and Drayton Manor Theme Park can also be found in the county.
The sights of Shropshire
With the River Severn running through it, Shropshire is full of market towns including Shrewsbury – the birthplace of Charles Darwin – Ludlow and Oswestry, so groups should be able to enjoy a pleasant visit.
Marketed as Shropshire’s Star Attractions are five venues; the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford, Weston Park, Hoo Farm Animal Kingdom, the Ironbridge Gorge Museums and the Severn Valley Railway.
The free-entry Royal Air Force Museum Cosford, near Shifnal, houses a collection including warplanes, research aircraft, rockets, missiles and memorabilia, nearby Weston Park is the ancestral home of the Earls of Bradford whilst for a taste of rural life, Hoo Farm Animal Kingdon near Telford is home to animals such as ostriches and deer.
The Ironbridge Gorge Museums, meanwhile, consist of ten museums set in six square miles along the River Severn, recognised as a World Heritage Site. They look at the history of the Gorge from the beginning of industrial development in the 18th century through to Victorian times. Made up of the Museum of the Gorge, the Museum of Iron, Blists Hill Victorian Town, Coalport China Museum, Broseley Pipeworks, Jackfield Tile Museum, the Iron Bridge and original Tollhouse, Enginuity, the Darby Houses and the Tar Tunnel, a discounted all site ticket, giving entry into each of the ten museums is available for groups of 20 or more.
If rail transport holds your group’s interest more, the Severn Valley Railway runs vintage carriages pulled by steam locomotives between Bridgnorth and Kidderminster. Unfortunately, at the time of going to press, journeys were only running between Kidderminster and Bewdley due to damage caused by recent bad weather, but it is hoped that all will be back to normal by the autumn.
The Black Country
The Black Country is made up of the three Boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall along with the City of Wolverhampton. The name ‘Black’ has its roots in the area’s industrial past and although those days are long gone, the area is proud of its heritage. One of the best places to learn about this is at the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley, spanning life in the area from 1850 to the 1960s. The 26-acre site features authentic buildings moved brick by brick to the Museum creating a period community with shops, houses and workplaces inhabited by costumed guides.
At nearby Dudley Zoological Gardens, you will find conservation of a different sort, with the attraction home to a number of endangered species.
The National Trust’s Wightwick Manor near Wolverhampton will be of interest to William Morris fans as the interiors contain many of his wallpapers and fabrics. Groups are able to visit by guided tour only.
Also nearby, and in the care of The National Trust, is Moseley Old Hall, an Elizabethan house, altered in the 19th century, that is famous for its connection with Charles II.
For theatre goers, the Grand Theatre in Wolverhampton hosts a number of touring productions throughout the year. Those coming up include ‘Chicago’ and Agatha Christie’s ‘And Then There Were None’. Backstage tours are also offered. It should be noted that the Theatre is closed for refurbishment work until the end of August but that group bookings can still be made for the autumn season and beyond.
A bright outlook in Birmingham
The city of Birmingham has witnessed an impressive regeneration in recent years, with shopping opportunities galore, not least within the £500 million Bullring shopping centre.
Also within the city centre, Thinktank, the city’s science museum, offers over 200 displays on science and discovery. The site also houses a digital Planetarium and an IMAX Cinema. A joint ticket for Thinktank and the IMAX is available with the Planetarium charged extra.
Again within Birmingham’s centre are the National Trust’s Birmingham Back to Backs. Set in houses that were built for the increasing population of the country’s expanding industrial areas 200 years ago, the interiors have been recreated to show the lives of four different families that lived here. Groups visits are by pre-booked guided tour only.
The Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham, including the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, is also worth exploring, where over a third of the country’s jewellery is still made.
Outside the city centre, The Birmingham Botanical Gardens & Glasshouses offer 15 acres of gardens and four glasshouses whilst for those with a sweet tooth, Cadbury World in Bournville looks at the history and production of Cadbury chocolate and includes the world�s biggest Cadbury shop!
Coventry and Warwickshire
Also making improvements, the city of Coventry is currently undergoing an £8 billion regeneration project, which should help keep a group visit fresh over the coming years.
With important links to the country’s motor industry, it is only fitting that the free-entry Coventry Transport Museum displays what is believed to be the world’s largest collection of British road transport, the majority of which was built in Coventry or has a strong association with the city.
Coventry suffered from bombing during the Second World War and consequently St Michael’s, Coventry’s second Cathedral, built on the site of an abbey founded 950 years ago, was largely destroyed. The new Cathedral was consecrated in 1962 and lies adjacent to the ruins of St Michael’s. Both can be visited for free. (Coventry’s first Cathedral, the Benedictine Priory Church of St Mary’s was destroyed during the Reformation but there is now a visitor centre next to this site, explaining the story.)
Outside the city, Warwickshire has an impressive heritage to discover, including the birthplace of William Shakespeare – Stratford-upon-Avon – Royal Leamington Spa and Rugby.
To explore the heritage of the country’s most famous playwright, you can pay a visit to any of the five Shakespeare Houses scattered around the county. In Wilmcote is Mary Arden’s, which includes two Tudor buildings – the childhood home of Shakespeare’s mother, Mary Arden, and Palmers Farm. Anne Hathaway’s Cottage in Shottery, meanwhile, was the childhood home of Shakespeare’s wife, whilst Hall’s Croft in Stratford-upon-Avon’s Old Town was the home of Shakespeare’s eldest daughter. Also in Stratford-upon-Avon, Nash’s House & New Place was where Shakespeare’s granddaughter lived and the site of his last home. Finally, Shakepeare’s Birthplace in the town is where group can get a sense of the rooms the young Shakespeare would have known.
Near Royal Leamington Spa, in Gaydon, you will find another transport attraction, the Heritage Motor Centre. It recently underwent a £1.7 million redevelopment to help showcase what is described as the world’s largest collection of historic British motor cars.
Redevelopment work has also been undertaken at the English Heritage property, Kenilworth Castle. As part of this £2.5 million restoration project, groups can now view an exhibition that looks at the relationship between the queen and Sir Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester.
Nearby, Warwick Castle offers groups a range of experiences including the new ‘Dream of Battle’ attraction, which transports visitors back to April 1471 whilst also in the area, art lovers can visit the Compton Verney gallery.
When in Worcestershire
With the River Severn and the River Avon both running through the county of Worcestershire, the Severn and Avon Valleys provide a picturesque backdrop to the county along with the Malvern Hills and Wyre Forest. Towns and villages such as Broadway, in the Cotswolds, with its honey coloured cottages, also add to its appeal.
With so much water, there are plenty of opportunities for boat trips whilst in the town of Droitwich Spa, known by the Romans as ‘Salinae’ – The Place of Salt, groups can get a sense of why it was so fashionable in Victorian times at the Brine Baths.
In the historic city of Worcester, meanwhile, the present Worcester Cathedral was begun in 1084. Entry is free but groups are required to make a small donation per head.
A timely place to visit this year, as it is the 150th anniversary of Sir Edward Elgar’s birth, is the Elgar Birthplace Museum in Lower Broadheath near Worcester. It is dedicated to the life, work and influences of the English composer and includes the 19th century cottage where he was born in 1857 and a visitor centre, the Elgar Centre.
From famous people to rare animals and found between Kidderminster and Bewdley, West Midland Safari & Leisure Park is home to the only White Lion pride in the UK as well as the largest family group of White Tigers. Groups can enjoy a four-mile safari drive-through to see these animals. The Discovery Trail area, meanwhile, allows you to visit attractions such as the Reptile House. A selection of amusement rides also add to the mix.
Worcestershire also offers plenty of gardens including Witley Court and Gardens. Sadly, in 1937, Witley Court itself was devastated by a fire and now stands in ruins but English Heritage has restored the south parterre garden at the site including its huge Perseus and Andromeda fountain.
On the other side of Worcester, meanwhile, The National Trust’s Croome Park established the reputation of ‘Capability’ Brown as it was the first complete landscape that he created.
Herefordshire charms
Whilst Worcestershire lies to the east of the Malvern Hills, Herefordshire borders them to the west. It includes the Wye Valley from Hereford down to Symonds Yat, where Yat Rock provides a great lookout point, and market towns such as Ross-on-Wye, Leominster and Ledbury.
The county has a large number of ‘Black and White Villages’ – so called due to the Victorian practice of painting the oak timbers and panels of existing houses to make them more aesthetically pleasing – and a Black and White Village Trail of about 40 miles can be driven around the area.
The present Hereford Cathedral, meanwhile, is now well known for its Mappa Mundi and Chained Library Exhibition, which includes the largest complete pre-15th century world map in existence.
For a taste of the county’s local produce, the Cider Museum and King Offa Distillery can also be found in Hereford and a visit will take your group through the history of cider-making worldwide.
Several National Trust sites can be found in the county including Croft Castle & Parkland near Leominster. A country house with connections dating back to the Norman Conquest, a joint ticket with nearby Berrington Hall is available, which itself is an 18th century mansion set in parkland designed by ‘Capability’ Brown, with views to the Brecon Beacons.
Also offering great views, near Ross-on-Wye, the English Heritage property, Goodrich Castle is a red sandstone fortress that looks out over the Wye Valley, built in the 12th century.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Tourism West Midlands
3 Priestley Wharf, Holt Street
Aston Science Park
Birmingham B7 4BN
Telephone: +44 (0)121 380 3500
Fax: +44 (0)121 380 3501
Email: samwarnock@advantagewm.co.uk
Web: www.enjoystaffordshire.com
www.shropshireforgroups.co.uk
www.visitbirmingham.com
www.blackcountrytourism.co.uk
www.visitcoventryandwarwickshire.co.uk
www.shakespeare-country.co.uk
www.visitworcestershire.org
www.visitherefordshire.co.uk