Sights in The Midlands
-
A
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
One of the best collections of Pre-Raphaelite works in the world. Highlights include a gallery of creations by Birmingham lad Edward Burne-Jones – look out for his massive triptych The Last Judgement, a grand piano smothered in gilt plasterwork, and a vast, goldpainted, Renaissance-themed wedding chest. Paintings include Ford Madox Brown’s The Last of England, where British migrants pass Dover-esque white cliffs to leave the country, and Henry Wallis’ Death of Chatterton, a diminutive oil featuring a doomed, pale poet sprawled in his attic bedroom. Then there’s an image seen on countless cards worldwide: Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s iconic Proserpine, in which a soulful, aubu…
reviewed
-
B
Cadbury World
Chocoholics from miles around flock to Cadbury World, which provides a lip-smacking exploration into the history, production and consumption of the ever popular cocoa-based confectionery, seen through the eyes of one of the world's largest chocolate-makers.
Kids - and sweet-toothed grown-ups - will love it, but beware of the afternoon sugar-crash! Ride a beanmobile or take a wander down Cocoa Rd, paved with 'talking chocolate splodges'. If you're lucky, you may get to see the finishing touches being put to your favourite chocolate. Book ahead - it's very popular in July and August. Opening hours vary. It's closed for some of December and most of January, but open from 10…
reviewed
-
C
St Michael's Cathedral & Ruins
The pretty cathedral quarter is historically the richest part of the city. The wonderfully evocative cathedral ruins of St Michael's Church Cathedral, destroyed by Nazi incendiary bombs in the blitz of 14 November 1940, still stand as a permanent memorial. The 180 steps of its Gothic spire can be climbed for some panoramic views.
Symbolically adjoining the old cathedral's sandstone walls is the Sir Basil Spence-designed cathedral, a modern, almost Gothic, architectural masterpiece. It includes a giant Graham Sutherland tapestry of Christ, glorious stained-glass nave windows (best seen from the altar), and a towering etched glass front. Look out for the Jacob Epstein statu…
reviewed
-
D
Museum of the Jewellery Quarter
This is an industrial time capsule set in a former factory which has been preserved as it was when it closed after 80 years of operation. Displays reveal just what nine-carat gold is made up of (not as much gold as you might think), and showcase such things as a silver 1930s card case, 18th-century candlesticks and an Acme Thunderer railway guard’s whistle. The Jewellery Quarter is three-quarters of a mile northwest of the centre; walk or hop on a train or metro to the down Cocoa Rd or try your hand at chocolate-making. Opening hours vary, and booking is advised – and essential during July and August; phone or check the website for details. Cadbury World is part of Bournv…
reviewed
-
E
The National Space Centre
The National Space Centre is a spectacular and successful attempt to bring space science to us ordinary mortals. Interactive displays cover cosmic myths, the history of astronomy and the development of space travel; in the Space Now! area you can check on the status of all current space missions.
Films in the domed Space Theatre (included in the admission price) launch you to the far reaches of the galaxy, and you can come back to earth with a coffee in Boosters Café. Don't miss the displays on zero-gravity toilets and the amazing germ-devouring underpants. The centre is off the A6 about 1.5 miles north of the city centre. Take bus No 54 from Charles St in the centre.
reviewed
-
F
Shakespeare's Birthplace
Start your Shakespeare tour at the house where the world's most famous playwright supposedly spent his childhood days. In fact, the jury is still out on whether this really was Shakespeare's birthplace, but devotees of the Bard have been dropping in since at least the 19th century, leaving their signatures scratched onto the windows. Set behind a modern facade, the house contains restored Tudor rooms, live presentations from famous Shakespearean characters, and an engaging exhibition on Stratford's favourite son.
reviewed
-
G
Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust manages five buildings associated with Shakespeare. Three of the houses are central, one is an easy walk away, and the fifth a drive or bike ride out; a combination ticket costs about half as much as the individual admission fees combined. Opening times are complicated and vary during the off season (check the website for details). In summer, enormous crowds pack the small Tudor houses; a visit out of season is much more enjoyable. Note that wheelchair access to the properties is restricted.
reviewed
-
H
Sarehole Mill
Built in the late 18th century, it was a favourite haunt of the young JRR Tolkien, who played here after his family moved to Birmingham in the late 1800s. It’s said the mill and nearby Moseley Bog provided inspiration for the Shire – home to Bilbo, Frodo and Samwise Gamgee in Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Travel 5 miles south of the city on bus 11A, 11C or 11E to reach the mill. There you’ll see pulley wheels, sack hoists and lots of worn beams. Then look out for little folk with furry feet.
reviewed
-
I
Nottingham Castle Museum & Art Gallery
Set atop a sandstone outcrop worm-holed with caves and tunnels, the original Nottingham castle was founded by William the Conqueror and held by a succession of English kings before falling in the English Civil War. Its 17th-century replacement contains a diverting museum of local history, with an extensive collection of costumes, jewellery, Wedgwood jasperware and paintings, including works by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Your ticket also gains you entry to the Museum of Nottinghamshire Life at Brewhouse Yard.
reviewed
-
J
Barber Institute of Fine Arts
The collection at the Barber Institute of Fine Art takes in Renaissance masterpieces by Martini, Bellini and Veronese, works by old masters such as Rubens and Van Dyck, British greats including Gainsborough, Reynolds and Turner, an array of Impressionist pieces, and works by the likes of Picasso, Rembrant and Schiele. The institute is at the University of Birmingham, 2½ miles south of the city centre. Take the train from New St to University station, or catch bus 61, 62 or 63 from Corporation St.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
K
Birmingham Central Library
Although each of the universities and university colleges has its own excellent libraries, you might still end up writing an essay or leafing through reference books in Birmingham Central Library. It’s the busiest public library in Britain and occupies eight floors. Shaped like an upside down ziggurat, it’s slap bang in the middle of town, making a spot of study possible between shopping trips. Plans are also afoot for a brand-new, multi-million pound library in nearby Centenary Sq.
reviewed
-
L
Jewry Wall Museum
You can see fine Roman mosaics and frescoes in this museum exploring the history of Leicester from Roman times to the modern day. In front of the museum is the Jewry Wall, part of Leicester's Roman baths. Tiles and masonry from the baths were incorporated in the walls of neighbouring St Nicholas' Church.
reviewed
-
M
Holy Trinity Church
The final resting place of the Bard is said to be the most visited parish church in England. Inside are handsome 16th- and 17th-century tombs (particularly in the Clopton Chapel), some fabulous carvings on the choir stalls and, of course, the grave of William Shakespeare, with its ominous epitaph: 'cvrst be he yt moves my bones'.
reviewed
-
N
Poole's Cavern
Poole's Cavern is a magnificent natural limestone cavern, about a mile from central Buxton. Guides take you deep underground to see an impressive formation of stalactites (the ones that hang down) - including one of England's longest - and distinctive 'poached egg' formation stalagmites.
From the cave car park, a 20-minute walk leads up through Grin Low Wood to Solomon's Temple, a small tower with fine views over the town and surrounding Peak District.
reviewed
-
O
Ikon Gallery
The turreted, terracotta Ikon Gallery is just to the west in Brindleyplace. This former Victorian school has been converted into an ubercool contemporary art space. Steel and glass staircases wind up to cavernous galleries filled with performance works, videos and modern oils. Check out the intimate, curved tower room; when art is this close, its impossible to ignore. It also has a cafe that serves great tapas and sherry to refuel between cultural hot spots.
reviewed
-
P
Coventry Transport Museum
Down by the bus station, this stupendous museum is every schoolboy's dream. Inside you can view hundreds of motor cars from across the ages, from the earliest 'horseless carriages' produced by Daimler in the 1890s to the jet-powered car that broke the land speed record (and the sound barrier) in 1997. Also on display are motorcycles, buses, tractors and early pushbikes and the car that Field Marshall Montgomery drove to Berlin in WWII. Kids will love the atmospheric 'Coventry Blitz Experience' and the Thrust speed simulator.
reviewed
-
Q
Peveril Castle
Topping the ridge to the south of Castleton, this evocative castle has been so ravaged by the centuries that it almost looks like a crag itself. Constructed by William Peveril, son of William the Conqueror, the castle was used as a hunting lodge by Henry II, King John and Henry III, and the crumbling ruins offer swoon-inducing views over the Hope Valley.
reviewed
-
R
Thinktank
East of the centre, the Millennium Point development is designed to help people understand science and technology. The focal point is Thinktank , an ambitious attempt to make science accessible (primarily to kids). Interactive displays cover topics such as the body and medicine, science in everyday life, nature, future technology, and industrial history, as well as an impressive new digital Planetarium.
reviewed
-
S
Wollaton Hall
Built in 1588 by Sir Francis Willoughby, land and coal-mine owner, Wollaton Hall is a magnificent example of Elizabethan architecture at its most extravagant. Architect Robert Smythson was also responsible for the equally avant-garde Longleat in Wessex. It was undergoing restoration works at the time of research; call ahead to check opening hours. The hall also houses a mediocre natural-history museum.
reviewed
-
T
Cathedral Church of St Philip
One of England's smallest cathedrals, the striking Cathedral Church of St Philip, was constructed in a neoclassical style between 1709 and 1715. The Pre-Raphaelite artist Edward Burne-Jones was responsible for the magnificent stained-glass windows: the Last Judgement, which can be seen at the western end, and Nativity, Crucifixion and Ascension at the eastern end.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
U
Mary Arden's House
Mary Arden's House at Wilmcote, 3 miles west of Stratford, was the childhood home of Shakespeare's mother. If you cycle there via Anne Hathaway's Cottage, follow the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal towpath to Wilmcote rather than retracing your route or riding back along the busy A3400. The easiest way to get there otherwise is on a bus tour. The Shakespeare Countryside Museum is housed here.
reviewed
-
V
Caves of Nottingham
Nottingham stands on Sherwood sandstone riddled with man-made caves that date back to medieval times. Bizarrely, the entrance to the most fascinating, readily accessible Caves of Nottingham is inside Broadmarsh shopping centre, on the upper level. These contain an air-raid shelter, a medieval underground tannery, several pub cellars and a mock-up of a Victorian slum dwelling.
reviewed
-
W
Anne Hathaway's Cottage
Before marrying Shakespeare, Anne Hathaway lived in Shottery, a mile west of the centre, in this pretty thatched farmhouse. As well as period furniture, there's an orchard and arboretum, with examples of all the trees mentioned in Shakespeare's plays. A footpath (no bikes allowed) leads to Shottery from Evesham Pl.
reviewed
-
X
Lord Leycester Hospital
Leaning against the Westgate like a rest home for Hobbits, the wonderfully wonky Lord Leycester Hospital has been used as a retirement home for soldiers (but not as a hospital) since 1571. Visitors can wander around the courtyard, chapel, guildhall and regimental museum.
reviewed
-
Y
St Mary's Guildhall
This hall is where the town's trades came together in the Middle Ages to discuss town affairs. As one of England's finest guildhalls, it was chosen to be a jail for Mary Queen of Scots. Stained-glass windows glorify the kings of England; further down the hall, stands WC Marshall's statue of Lady Godiva. Look out for the medieval tapestry depicting Henry VI.
reviewed
