We all love a good day out. Whether itโs with the kids, as a couple or just a solo adventure. Weโre going to show you the top 10 places to visit in the Midlands.
Whether your in the West Midlands or East Midlands, weโre covering the whole area (classed as the Midlands). As itโs such a big area, this post could be super long but weโre handpicking the best areas just for you.
Why Visit The Midlands?
Whether youโre visiting the UK from afar or you live here and are in search of something to do, the Midlands wouldnโt normally be a first choice to visit. But itโs oh so worth it with itโs vast amounts of hidden gems.
West Midlands
The West Midlands is made up of various counties:
- Herefordshire
- Shropshire
- Staffordshire
- Warwickshire
- Worcestershire
Youโll also find some major cities such as Birmingham, Coventry, Stoke-on-Trent, Walsall and Wolverhampton.
East Midlands
The same as the West, East Midlands is also made up of several counties:
- Derbyshire
- Leicestershire
- Lincolnshire (excluding North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire)
- Northamptonshire
- Nottinghamshire
- Rutland
Some of the most populous cities here include Derby, Leicester, Lincoln, Mansfield, Northampton and Nottingham.
Now we know what weโre working with, letโs get straight in to the list!
1. Straford-upon-Avon
A medieval market town, Stratford-upon-Avon is located in Warwickshire (West Midlands). If you have a bucket list of places to visit, this needs to feature on it!
Itโs biggest attraction is the fact that it is the birthplace of William Shakespeare โ the most famous writer in the world. He was born here in 1564 and also laid to rest here in 1616.
If you want to learn all about the man himself, you can take the hop-on hop-off bus. This will take you to all the most important spots in Shakespeareโs life Mary Ardenโs Farm and Anne Hathawayโs Cottage.
2. Castleton
Youโll find Castleton nestled in Hope Valley, Derbyshire (East Midlands).
If youโre particularly into walking and hiking, youโll love this gem in the Peak District. It just so happens to be home to two of the most popular walks in the area โ Mam Tor and Winnats Pass. Donโt forget the Dragonโs Back Walk too.
Love your history? Youโll find the ruins of Peveril Castle here too. From the 11th century, itโs one of Englandโs first Norman fortresses.
You can also check out the show caves here. Three are close to the village and are highly rates as some of the best to be found in the country.
Finally, make sure you visit the village centre and enjoy and afternoon tea in one of itโs tea rooms.
3. Warwick Castle
Warwick Castle is inโฆ you guessed it, Warwick (West Midlands).
It can be hard to choose a castle to visit with there being so many scattered throughout the UK. But Warwick Castle always features on the top lists.
It sits on the River Avon in Warwickshire and construction started very soon after the great Battle of Hastings (1068). It wasnโt until the 12th century that the stone castle started to take shape.
Nowadays, visitors to the castle have lots of activities to choose from in the Summer.
You can take part in a jousting tournament! As well as this, you can watch various shows including archery displays, birds of prey shows and the dragon slayer show โ very fitting!
Itโs quite easy to make a full day of your visit to Warwick Castle.
4. Bakewell
Another vote for the Peak District! Bakewell is a market town that can be found in the Peak District, Derbyshire (East Midlands).
Walkers and hikers alike will love this one with plenty of walks and hikes across the local area.
Just a few miles out from Bakewell youโll find Chatsworth House which is well worth a visit.
If you happen to be there on a Monday, youโll get to enjoy market day.
If a farmerโs market is up your street, get here on the third Saturday of the month. Youโll find a huge variety of local goods and produce on sale.
Whilst youโre here, you have to try a Bakewell Pudding. Itโs in the name!
5. Ironbridge
If you canโt guess the attraction here, then thereโs no helping you!
Ironbridge is aptly named due to the iron bridge that resides here and stretches over the River Severn. Youโll find it in Shropshire (West Midlands).
1779 is when the bridge was built and it was the first of itโs kind (built using iron) anywhere in the entire world.
Coalbrookdale is where the process of smelting iron using coke was born and it was a ground breaking process at the time.
It is a UNESCO World Heritage site as of 1986 and was also the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution.
6. Mablethorpe
The first seaside has made itโs appearance! Mablethorpe sits on the coast of Lincolnshire (East Midlands).
One of the best things about Mablethorpe is that all of itโs main attractions (of which there are many) are so close together!
Be sure to check out the sand train. It heads in to the sea for the return leg of the journey!
If you love going to the beach, Mablethorpeโs miles of golden sands wonโt disappoint. Donkey rides await you and donโt forget the wonderful fish and chips that are available too.
Heading there with the kids? Theyโll enjoy the mini theme park that includes a boating lake, crazy golf and rides for all ages.
7. Bourneville
Calling all chocolate lovers!
Bournville in Birmingham (West Midlands) is home to the world famous Cadbury World which started as the original Cadbury chocolate factory in 1879.
John Cadbury created Bournville as a Victorian model village to house his many workers. He also made sure they had access to schools, hospitals and many other essential amenities.
Learn all about the village by taking part in the Bournville Heritage Walk, crossing past all the points of interest.
Whilst youโre here, take a look around Cadbury World and learn how chocolate is actually manufactured (as well as trying samples of the goodies along the way).
8. Sherwood Forest
Back to the East Midlands, specifically Nottinghamshire. The famous Sherwood Forest is a must visit.
Itโs well known as being the home of the mighty Robin Wood and has a protected status. It is dubbed as a โlegend in the making for over 1000 yearsโ.
Giant ancient Oak trees can be found here, one in particular being the celebrated Major Oak.
This tree has been here between 800 and 1100 years! If only it could talk โ imagine the history this tree has witnessed!
Walks, walks and more walks. All ages will be able to enjoy a trek around the forest on one of its many trails.
Events are held year round as well as guided walks so be sure to visit more than once.
9. Black Country Living Museum
Fancy a touch of History? Be prepared to take in tons of it!
Get a sense of exactly what life was like back in the 19th and early 20th centuries by visiting the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley (West Midlands).
Many of the staff here are dressed in costume to match the times and play out as characters so you really feel as though youโve taken a step back in time.
Many of the shops and houses here have been preserved so they are just as they were at the time they weโre actually in use during the areaโs time as one of the worldโs most heavily industrialised areas.
Prepare to spend the day here as there is so much to see and do.
Youโll learn all about how life was for the average working class person back in recent history.
Fans of the hit show Peaky Blinders will be interested to know that parts of it were filmed right here! And they even hose]t a Peaky Blinders themed event so dress to impress!
10. Silverstone
The Silverstone Circuit near Silverstone (East Midlands) is a must visit for sports fanatics.
Itโs located around 30 miles north east of Oxford.
It is home of the British Grand Prix so Formula 1 fans will be right at home here.
You can sit back and watch an F1 race or even take part on the track and test your driving skills with a track day experience.
This circuit is one of the oldest in the world and many drivers hail it as the โTemple of Motorsportโ.
Go And See The Top 10 Places To Visit In The Midlands
There you have it โ 10 places to visit all around the Midlands.
If youโve already been to these places, then check out more of our posts to really explore the UK like this one about places to visit outdoors.
But even so, these places are definitely worth a second visit as they are truly remarkable and exactly why you shouldnโt discount the Midlands as an ideal place to visit when in England.
