|
This is a holding page for the local areas
You need to make a selection from the above menu
For example England > South West > Bath
Cottages. Lodges & Apartments
Over 140,000 properties
From romantic little hideaways to glorioius seasides or rolling hills
From 1 to 10 bedrooms
MOST WITH HOT TUBS!
Theres one just right for you
A Trip to the West Midlands
If you tell someone you're going to the West Midlands for a vacation, they might look at you as if you've just suggested a weekend trip to a Coventry car park. But hold your horses as this region of England is somewhat of a hidden treasure. Though it is the industrial heart of the nation, it is somewhat replete with more canals than Venice and enough green to make a hobbit weep with delight.
Thousand Trades City
Let's start by discussing Birmingham, or Brum as the residents refer to it. It is a city which has at last come to see it is rather fascinating. You cannot visit without a trip to the Jewellery Quarter. It's a great sweep of history where you can view the Pen Museum or even the Coffin Works; it's not only for those seeking a luxury ring. Although the latter seems somewhat sad, it is a really excellent view of the factory that produced Churchill's last box's handles.
Should you like sweets, Cadbury World in Bournville is a need. For three straight days, it's the only spot where smelling like a bar of Dairy Milk is socially acceptable. Simply be ready for the "Bournville smell" in the air, which is great until you find you have unintentionally eaten your weight in free samples and cannot close your pants.
Castles and Bardic Bashing
Warwick Castle is only a quick hop away. It is precisely what a castle ought to be: huge, somewhat menacing, and teeming with people in tights posing as archers. One of the best kept medieval castles in the country, if you are lucky you could see a trebuchet hurl a rock far away. In effect, it's rather cathartic.
Then there's Stratford-upon--Avon, obviously. This is Shakespeare, core. The place where the Bard was born, the place where he died, and most likely the place where he once stubbed his toe are all places you can visit. Though the swans on the River Avon behave like they own the place and will glare you down for a piece of your sandwich, it is a gorgeous town.
The Black Country and Beyond
Visiting the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley is the only way to claim to have seen the West Midlands. One can go back in time at this outdoor museum. You can ride an old bus, consume genuine fish and chips cooked in beef dripping (the only way it should be done), and engage with people whose language sounds like a beautiful, melodic secret code. If someone uses the term "bab" to refer to you or says something is "bostin," they are being complimentary. Should they comment on your seeming "dragged backwards across a hedge," maybe find a mirror.
Head towards the Malvern Hills or the Shropshire Hills if you ultimately want some fresh air to help your lungs clear off the industrial grime. From the summit, the views are spectacular; on a clear day, you can see all the way to Wales. Sitting here with a flask of tea, one can ask why on earth people spend all their time in London when they could be right here. It's the ideal area to sit.
|
