Warwick es conocido como el castillo medieval más importante de Inglaterra. Se encuentra a 30 minutos en coche de Birmingham, y consta de más de 1000 años de historia inglesa. Aquí hay murallas, torres, e aun una cámara de prisión y tortura: todo absolutamente auténtico y en excelentes condiciones. Las exhibiciones incluyen una de armamento medieval y una de obras de cera de alrededor de 1898. Los terrenos, entre ellos los jardines Peacock y Rose, son especialmente populares. Aquí se realizan numerosos eventos por año, como por ejemplo el festival Medieval, Flight of the Eagle y Meet the Castle Craftsmen. Los horarios y precios de las entradas varían, por lo que se recomienda visitar el sitio web para más detalles. Llamar al +44 871 265 2000 para más información.
A little way out from the city center but easy to get to, the Barber Institute is adjacent to the University of Birmingham. This is one of the world's finest small art galleries with an outstanding collection of old and modern paintings, drawings and sculpture. This gallery is not normally as busy as some larger galleries, so your tour will be un-crowded and pleasant. Artists' works include Bellini, Canaletto, Monet, Renoir, Rossetti and Van Gogh. The Institute is also a regular venue for concerts, lectures and other events.
Spanning the borders of Worcestershire and Shropshire, Wyre Forest is spread across sprawling swathes of woodland. This forest is set amid the backdrop of rolling hills, aged woods, orchards, and a fringe of quaint villages, safari routes and charming market towns like Kidderminster and Bewdly. From owls and wood warblers to lovely pearl-bordered butterflies, this teeming forest is particularly famed for the enormous melange of wildlife it shelters in its depth. The forest is also replete with opportunities for adventure, featuring zip lines, Tarzan swings and more. A naturalist's dream and a wonderland for the intrepid adventurer, this mystical forest is criss-crossed with hiking trails while the gorgeous Dowles Brook pierces through its heart.
Built between 1618 and 1635 by Sir Thomas Holte, this fine Jacobean mansion is one of Birmingham's crown jewels. The house was used to harbor King Charles I for a short time during the Civil War, and the Great Stairs still bear scars left behind by cannon fire. Although changes were made to the Hall during the 17th and 18th Centuries, it remains largely Jacobean in style. Today, Aston Hall serves as an educational working museum and it has its own schools' liaison team. Over 20 rooms have been opened to the public, and it also hosts magical candle-lit guided tours every December. Managed by the Birmingham Museums Trust, Aston Hall shelters decadent rooms ornamented with splendid furniture, textiles and metalwork. It is also embellished with a spectacular elongated gallery. Skirted by a verdant, rolling park, this gargantuan, red-brick mansion is a magnificent remnant of the 17th-century regality.
Blakesley Hall is a timber framed Elizabethan yeoman's farmhouse, built in 1590 in Old Yardley for Richard Smallbroke (a Birmingham businessman and farmer). The Hall is furnished and staffed in 17th-century fashion and is a fascinating place to visit. It is open to schools as well as the public.
Baddesley Clinton is a lovely manor house dating back to the 13th Century. This beautiful house is known to be the home of the Ferrer family for over 500 years. The garden of the manor house and the lake in the vicinity simply add to the beauty of the place. The Baddesley Clinton house is open to visitors throughout the year and is disabled friendly too. The beautiful gardens are also a treat to explore. The place is managed by the National Trust.
Cannock Chase Forest is a great place to soak in some of the fresh air of the English countryside. Besides being reputed as a land covered with beautiful pine trees, this forest is also rich in mining and military history. The Cannock Chase Forest is also a popular events venue owing to its amazing scenic beauty. While the natural beauty is undisputed, the forests have also gained some reputation thanks to some mysterious sightings of wildlife.
The historic Spon street was once a part of a route between Gosford and Birmingham which continued to be used until the 1960s when the new Inner Ring Road was completed. Historically the street has been a hub of Coventry's famous dyers and textile industries, and was later taken over by a number of watchmakers. After the Second World War ravaged the city, a number of medieval timber houses were moved from all over Conventry to join Spon Street's own surviving buildings in an effort to protect the city's architectural heritage. Today these medieval buildings have come to house a number of shops, restaurants and pubs. The street is a popular destination for tourists who are drawn to the quaint timber houses and the historic feel they lend to the entire street.
University of Birmingham's botanic garden, Winterbourne Botanic Garden houses several lovely antiques as well as more than 6000 species of plants from different parts of the world. Some of the arresting antiques inside this botanical garden include an alpine garden, orchid house, Anthemis collection by NCPG, geographic beds, arid house and a Hazel tunnel. Other striking features comrpise of a low-lying rock garden, refurbished wooden pergola and a lean-to beautiful glasshouse which is one of the few structeres to have been erected on a slanting platform. In the year 2011, a pleached walk of lime trees was planted here to restore one which was also found in the orignial botanical garden.
Originally established with the intention of providing a more direct link between Birmingham and the River Severn, the Worcester and Birmingham Canal has now come to be a popular leisure cruising destination. The canal begins at Worcester and makes its way through the country side before ending that the Gas Street Basin at Birmingham. Permission for the construction of the canal was granted in 1791, however it took several years to actually complete it. There are 56 locks along the length of the canal which has now come to be a part of the Stourport Ring. Narrow boats are available for hire at a number of points, and a number of enjoyable walks can be had around the canal. As
This parkland covers over 400 acres and contains the historic ruins of the medieval Cistercian Coombe Abbey. The park also contains a large bird hide and boasts course fishing and regular events. These include craft displays, nature studies and car rallies. This is a most relaxing place to visit (even if you bring the children) and the surrounding countryside and country pubs are also worth investigation. Check website for their varying open hours.