The Midlands

THE MIDLANDS 406 and villages distinguish the countryside of Northamptonshire andNottinghamshire.and villagesdistinguishthecountrysideofNorthamptonshire plenty ofruralrelief. flocktothelovely andbikers Walkers Peak whileunspoilt towns District, compared withLondon.And,onceyou’ve filledyourbootswiththeurban goodlife, there’s is changing allthat.Nightlife andshopping hotspotsare booming–andthey’re goodvalue industrial historyhave tarnishedtheirreputation. Butnowaninfectious cosmopolitanenergy andmemorablescaletoo.spine-tingling themightyGothicLichfieldCathedralevocative scores ruin.Andtothe north highlyonthe anothercastleblossomedbefore itcrumbledintodisrepairworth, andformedahauntingly wayupstream.still beautifullypreserved –wasbeingforged Meanwhile,inKenil- ashort Avon. bytheRiver Avon, frolicked WhileayouthfulShakey themagnificentWarwickCastle – Stratford-upon- Shakespeare, thepilgrimagetohispretty andmillionsstillmake birth-town, more thanmost.Ithasproduced arguably fertile theworld’sgreatest playwrightinWilliam and Walesquipthat‘thegroinofBritain’ismore apt.Ifthat’sso,then thisnetherregion is todescribetheirregion. like ofEngland’:that’showMidlanders ‘The WitsinScotland heart The Midlands © LonelyPlanetPublications Heart or groin, the message is clear: you shouldn’t neglect it. youshouldn’t neglect orgroin,themessageisclear: Heart citiesdosufferMidlands’ abadrap,however. WWIIbombs, dire townplanning,andagritty

HIGHLIGHTS

POPULATION: 9.5 MILLION Stepping backintimeattheglorious,medi- Blastingoff into theorbitofLeicester’s atthehumandramaofaShake- Marvelling Gettingdowntothefamouslive music of Strollingaroundthequirkylost‘seaside’ intheuntamedbeautyofPeak Drinking eval National SpaceCentre speare playat Birmingham’s of resort around District Warwick Castle Matlock Bath Jam House Stratford-upon-Avon Edale ( p420) ( p449) (p442) ( p431) ( p416) ( p422) AREA : 11,551 SQMILES Birmingham Stratford-upon-Avon Matlock Edale Bath Warwick

Leicester

A4 A4 A

ie Severn River A53 A53

1 region (which isboundedtotheeastby London, demarkingtheeastern thirdof the by motorways.TheM1windsnorthfrom It isperhaps here yourself easiesttoorientate lonelyplanet.com M54 splits off atWolverhamptonM54 splitsoff toheadover andStoke-on-Trent;hampton, Stafford the the M1,andnorthwestuptowardsWolver- ham: theM6runseasttowardsCoventry and Midlands. Routes spideroutfromBirming- inthecentreM42 andBirmingham of the upon-Avon andWarwickonitswaytothe and westof theregion, passingStratford- order. forthesouth thesame TheM40does inthat DerbyandNottingham, ton, Leicester, Northamp- Midlands’ major towns: Bedford, A1). Itrunsparallelwithalineof theEast

Orientation T 58 Malvern

0 Audlem

65 SHROPSHIRE 0 e Manchester Eastnor Castle Telford

Nantwich

Hills m THE MIDLANDS Bolton A41 Gorge Ironbridge Leigh

under-Lyme

Drayton e Sandbach

Newcastle-

A4 Market

8 A417

Witley A40 Eccleshall Airport Great Crewe Ombersley Bridgnorth

Worchester M50 Stourbridge Newport Congleton M54 Wolverhampton Kidderminster Malvern Great

A40 on-Trent Bury

A40

Stoke- Stafford A41 Gailey

Gloucester A449 M60 Bromsgrove Dudley Macclesfield Manchester Wilmslow

M50 Biddulph

Tewkesbury A58 Longton M5

M6 Grange Stockport

CHESHIRE HEREFORDSHIRE Stone

A435 Rochdale

M6 A41 & WORCESTER

A436 Oldham Shugborough 7 Cannock GLOUCESTERSHIRE Cheltenham THEMIDLANDS••Orientation Chase

Birmingham A640 Walsall Leek STAFFORDSHIRE A50 A628 Ashbourne Evesham Alton Towers Holmfirth A4 Lichfield Buxton

29 Moreton Castleton DERBYSHIRE Uttoxeter Drayton upon-Trent National Park Manor M6 Peak District Rocester A623 upon-Avon Park Burton- Stratford- A6 Warwick A38 Warwick

Airport Birmingham Charlecote A618 Conkers Kedleston Sheffield Castle Tamworth Chesterfield Tideswell Park Hall

Atherstone Matlock A618 Derby Chipping Matlock East Midlands Norton Nuneaton International Bath OXFORDSHIRE Airport Kenilworth Spa Leamington Woodstock Rotherham Banbury WARWICKSHIRE Barnsley Eastwood Ashby- Coventry

Zouch de-la-

A57 A50 Ripley Bedworth Abbey Calke A619 A40 A52 Newstead A57 Battlefield Bosworth M40

M69

Coalville

A41 Abbey M6 Daventry A41 A41

A619 A M18 M1 Nottingham Kegworth Qaorn NOTTINGHAMSHIRE Sulgrave

Rugby

Newstead Manor M1 A60 Sherwood Brackley Loughborough Mansfield Worksop

A421 Lutterworth Harborough Forest Bicester Northampton Thorne Oxton Market A1 Leicester A43 Doncaster Brixworth LEICESTERSHIRE

Althorp A45 Syston Towcester Buckingham Southwell Ollerton

Wellingborough

Wolverton M1 Retford East M62 Pennine southof Bridlewaystarts thewalking shire andNorthumberland intoScotland.The leads keen walkers York- for268milesthrough finest areas inEnglandfor The Peak DistrictNationalPark isoneof the Activities yourplanning. good placetostart tourist informationfortheregion andisa 761100; www.visitheartofengland.com) The Information theM1andM6. is midwaybetween to Telford andShrewsbury. ThePeak District start ofstart thePennine Waynationaltrail,which see p446 formore It’salsohometothe details. Uppingham A46 Bingham Belvoir Castle Lyddington BUCKINGHAMSHIRE LINCOLNSHIRE Oakham Kettering M1 Tuxford NORTHAMPTONSHIRE Mowbray Melton Keynes Milton A57 NORTH Scunthorpe Corby Heart of England Tourist Board ofEnglandTourist Heart

MILTON

A41 KEYNES A41 A5 on-Trent Newark- Barton Aylesbury Earls Gainsborough

Triangular A5 Rushton A1077

Newport RUTLAND A5 Lodge Pagnell

A1 Buzzard Leighton Rutland Kirby Hall

A6 50km 25miles 0 0 Grantham

Water Brigg A5 BEDFORDSHIRE Redbourne A15 Leadenham Lincoln Sleaford Rushden LINCOLNSHIRE Luton

Threekingham Thrapston Bourne A15 A15 Ampthill Bedford Oundle Stamford

Woodhall Spa St Neots

A14

Glatton

Caistor Clophil M1 M1 Hitchin A160A1077 HERTFORDSHIRE Market Spalding Rasen Airport Bardney CAMBRIDGESHIRE Luton Wragby Ludborough LINCOLNSHIRE

A1 A1 NORTHEAST

Sandy A604 Immingham Biggleswade

Crowland Peterborough

A1121 A1 Boston Revesby Warboys Huntingdon Horncastle Stevenage walking Baldock Grimsby Cambridge Long Sutton A47 Sutterton Holbeach Cleethorpes has centralised hascentralised A16 St Ives

Wisbech Royston A4 Louth Somercotes

March Chatteris A120 M11 North

A45 Stansted M11 Sawbridgeworth M11 A45 A1104 and A45

Airport Littleport Outwell

A10 (

Terrington St % A45 A17 Mablethorpe A120 A10 Clements

King's Lynn NORFOLK

M Skegness A120

11 B184 Ely A120 A45 Downham SUFFOLK M11 B1383 A11 cycling Market 01905- Walden Saffron Soham

ESSEX

407 North

Black

A45 A110 Sea

1 A4 w A A13

A ; THE MIDLANDS MIDLANDS THE THE MIDLANDS provided by board withbikes, andyoucanenjoythe canal- the unlikely epicentre. agroupof Get youon get active, withthemetropolisof Birmingham guide to transport intheregion andbeyond. midlands.co.uk) services. the latter asnochange isgiven on anyof its (www.travelwm.co.uk) adult/child£6.50/4.50) tickets .scbeastmidstravel.co.uk) consult is amajor hub.Forregional bustimetables, thecountry. Birmingham and throughout .com) National Express Getting There&Around p83. be foundintheOutdoorActivitieschapter, the boxed text, p92 , forhowtoget started. massive networkof manmadewaterways; see you gently chug thecountry’s yourwaythrough side paths orbyfootatyourleisure, bywheel as isnotyourthing. trails ifthewetstuff ing for Water, agiantreservoir, Zouch inLeicestershire. centre (calledConkers) isnearAshby-de-la- across thispartof centralEngland.Themain an ongoingproject toplant30milliontrees more options,theNationalForest, sedate whoare and,forthose after Chase Cannock good placesforwalkingandcyclinginclude walkingandcyclingtracks. delightful old railwaylineshave converted been into the Peak District,especially intheareas where Fairholmes and variousotherpointsaround Bikes canbehired at Derwent Reservoirs. national parkcentre atFairholmes onthe Matlock orthe EdaleandCastleton, Bath, include thevillages andtownsof Buxton, of level something forevery ability.Idealbases bikersand bridlewaysformountain –with country lanesfortouringcyclists,andtracks with avastnetworkof paths forwalkers, the iceberg; thePeak Districtiscrisscrossed of aplanned350-mileroute isnowopen. road cyclingaswellwalking.About one-third route andis designedfor 408 More information onalltheabove can Water-lovers of alsoflocktoRutland alllevels A In thesouthof theMidlandsregion, other epicsare long-distance thetipofBut these . It is surrounded by cycling and walking . Itissurroundedbycyclingandwalking is the main coach service intheMidlands isthemaincoach service canal boat IMNHM • itr BIRMINGHAM ••History SCB East Midlands Travel & Leisure &Leisure Travel SCB EastMidlands Traveline Traveline isacomprehensive andimpartial Stagecoach ( is one of the most fun ways to isoneof themostfunwaysto % . Take moneyfor theright ( % 08705 808080;www.nationalexpress . Regional bus services are . Regionalbusservices 0870 6082608; and ( % horse riding Travel WestMidlands Travel 01788-535555; Explorer sailing and

www.traveline andoff- windsurf- (www

has been inmanyayear,itishamperedhas been byonly coolandconfidentthanit More self-assured, car industry),thecityiswellplacedtoadapt. recently felt thepinch of themoribundUK (workers attheLongbridge Rover carfactory ofas the‘workhorse theworld’isdeclining facturing industrythatdefinedBirmingham centre is justthelatest. themanu- Although the strikingpostindustrialBullringshopping moreever innovative architectural makeovers: centre and planners keep coming upwith cultural andarchitectural gems dotthecity making themostof whatit’sgot. Established is Birmingham But,nomatter: be disguised. and ringroadsthatwillprobably fully never townplanningleftalegacyofwoeful concrete miliar destructive brew of WWIIbombsand shake abargepole at. thanyoucan pubs andjumpingnightclubs now there are more glamorousshops, buzzing landscapes andcanalsthatcrisscrossthecity; projects have breathed life intotheindustrial brant, culturalhotspot.Huge regeneration reinventedhas spectacularly asavi- itself second-largest city–nicknamed‘Brum’ Once adrab,grimyurbanbasket England’s case, % BIRMINGHAM grim urban wastelands. and, most recently, theBullringinformerly Brindleyplace, the Mailbox, MillenniumPoint creatingrevitalisation, theaward-winning toground-breaking itself again devoting civic their goodworkinlarge part. raids andpostwartownplanners were toundo trendsetter incivicregeneration. ButWWIIair first(1836–1914), thatBirmingham becamea lightened mayors Chamberlain such asJoseph ment. Itwasn’tuntilthemid-1800s, under en- much that wasbadabout industrial develop- thecityexemplifiedmid-19th century,though, Priestley (1733–1804),tonameafew. Bythe thew Boulton(1728–1809)andchemist Joseph pioneers James Watt(1736–1819)andMat- of inventions; several itwashometosteam thebirthplace hasbeen lution, Birmingham One of thegreat centres of theIndustrialRevo- HISTORY consistently voted England’sleastattractive. accent,whichone thing–itsinhabitants’ is Mind you,it’sstillnooilpainting.Thefa- Fortunately, thecity’sleadership isonce 0121 /pop977,087 lonelyplanet.com ( by reservation. h /birmingham) the cityonfootuntilyouget yourbearings. gate. toparksomewhere It’swise andexplore it particularlyconfusingformotoriststonavi- make ring roads,roundabouts andunderpasses anightmare isdrivinginit.Theendless putably The oneaspectof that’sstillindis- Birmingham ORIENTATION lonelyplanet.com Gay Birmingham Gay Birmingham UK exhibitions. forthcoming including openinghours,admissioncostsand galleries, .org.uk) Informationonmostofthecity’smuseumsand Gallery &Art Birmingham Museums Birmingham Council BBC Birminghamhomepage Internet Resources Orange Studio Library Central Access Internet Police station Emergency Waterstone’s Bonds Books Bookshops INFORMATION www.bullring.co.uk).plex (see architecturallysleek, strikingshopping com- and Digbethcoach istheBullring,a station NewStstation ning of Chinatown.Between but stillinthecentre, andmarksthebegin- centres. TheArcadiancentre isfurthersouth, City Plaza,Pallasades andPavilions shopping NewStandinthemodern pedestrianised of shops canbefoundalong Birmingham’s Brindleyplace. Hall, and atGasStBasin andthedevelopment national Convention andSymphony Centre centre, Sq,theInter- tothewestisCentenary gay visitors. 1st-floor restaurant. a majormobilephonenetwork–alsohasanupmarket 10am-6.30pm Sat)Thiship‘chatcafé’–anoffshoot of 7 CannonSt;perhr£2; about 10minutes’busjourneyfromthecentre. St,Harborne)Well-knownindependentbookstore, High % Southeast of most theCouncil House, Taking thehugeas CouncilHouse 9am-8pm Mon-Fri, to5pmSat)Internetaccessisfree 9am-8pm Mon-Fri, 631 4333;128NewSt) ( High St % ( ( % ( % % (www.birminghamuk.com) (www.gaybrum.com) Informationfor BIRMINGHAM ••Orientation 427 9343;www.bondbooks.co.uk; 97a 0845 1135000;SteelhouseLane) 634 2800;www.orangestudio.co.uk; h 303 4511;ChamberlainSq; ( % (www.birmingham.gov.uk) 8.30am-6.30pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-6.30pm Mon-Fri, 633 4353; 24 High St); 633 4353;24High (www.bbc.co.uk (www.bmag NewSt

Union St) Catch bus15,17or97. 5.30pm Mon-Fri, to6pmSat) 5.30pm Mon-Fri, 130 NewSt) Steelhouse Lane) 10pm Sun) hire perday£5.50; locker and themedleaflets. mainbranchhasawiderangeofmaps brochure-stuffed h 4.30pm Sun); 5.30pm Mon&Wed-Sat,10am-5.30pmTue, 10.30am- ( planning fromthemainbuscompany. Warwick Rd,Sparkhill) brant nightlife means there’s as much activity dramatic refurbishments. And thecity’svi- ample –have transformedbythecity’s been ham –thearea aroundthe Bullring,forex- What were oncethescariest parts of Birming- DANGERS &ANNOYANCES office Tourist Tourist Information postoffice Central Post NatWest Bank Lloyds TSB CookExchange HSBC Bank&Thomas Express American Money Hospital Heartlands Hospital Birmingham Children’s Services Medical bars andthetouristoffice. fortnightly pest bars andclubs.Pickof thebunch isthe current exhibitions,restaurants, andthehip- and restaurants, providing handyupdates on Various free magazinesfillhotel lobbies,bars Media station New Street Left Luggage Laundry &DryCleaningCentre Laundry WestMidlands Travel icBirmingham The localnewspaper’swebsite. % 9am-5pm Mon-Sat,10am-4pmSun)Thehelpful, 202 5099;TheRotunda,150NewSt; (2 Brindleyplace) Welcome Centre What’s On (www.birmingham.org.uk) (http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk) (http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk) (Arcadian Centre) ( % (1 Pinfold St, Victoria Sq; (1 Pinfold St, Victoria ( % ( % h (www.travelwm.co.uk) Travel 644 5555;BankHouse,Cherry 632 6884; Station Forecourt; 632 6884;StationForecourt; 424 3263;BordesleyGreen E) magazine,free atsome (cnr New&CorporationSts; 7am-11pm Mon-Sat,8am- ( % ( % h 771 3659;236 333 9999; Main branch ( % 9.30am- h 643 5057; 9am-

409

THE MIDLANDS MIDLANDS THE THE MIDLANDS 410 0 400 m BIRMINGHAM 0 0.2 miles

ta BIRMINGHAM St Paul's riet V Hen y Station St t s a S e C L To Jewellery Quarter o To M6 (2mi); Aston Villa

n r n s i S (0.5mi); Soho House (2mi); tit e FC (3.5mi); Walsall (10mi); Aston t u o INFORMATION Lloyds TSB...... (see 13) SLEEPING i ti m D Dudley (10mi) d St o t University Vittoria St n Lichfield (14mi); m a a L H r American Express...... 1 C2 NatWestr Bank...... 6 C4 Billy's Hostel...... 27 D3 iv i u al W t ll Wolverhampton o e S an t o m ry C S p Birmingham Children'so Orange Studio...... 7 C3 Burlington Hotel...... 28 B3 Caroline St l (17mi) r d o y l u S zele e o c t a w C Hospital...... o 2 C1 Policet Station...... 8 C2 Hotel du Vin...... 29 B2 Northwoo t S F d ck h a Cox St & h nswa S M F n S ee y Central Library...... St t 3 B3 Thomas Cook Exchange....(see 28) Ibis Hotel...... 30 C4 r m u n 's n a sto i e l A h Q A d d u St Chad’s s L a y g Central Post Office...... 4 B3 Touristd Officea Main Branch....9 C3 Nitenite...... 31 A3 e n S l P r i e w r a t i Sq m HSBC Bank...... 5 C2 Tourist Officew l Welcome c St M r e k i C St Chad a y

B J y h Centre...... 10 C3 EATING S a S

a s t t St Paul’s d m 48 ' u Weaman St 2 Waterstone's...... (see 28) Arcadian Palace...... 32 C4 s a e St c L m St Brook Ci r se s aha u d Waterstone's...... 11 C3 Bank...... 33 A3 Gr W N Lu o R e d lh s w g e a Bar Estilo...... 34 A4 N n h a e t e a t t t e e 8 n t ll Snow S w n S S H Q SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Chez Jules...... 35 B3 t ay Hill Je h e i ll w u a g Birmingham Museum & Art Chung Ying Garden...... 36 B4 r s Station e l n

l o e

e e n e C s Gallery...... 12 B2 Le Petit Blanc...... 37 A3 H G u s 25 o i u w l Q l l c Brindleyplace...... 13 A3 San Carlo...... 38 B3

t m r a S i t C C y Charlotte St S s o r Millennium Cathedral Church of St t e h e e rl u 29 Point le a wall St rc Philip...... 14 B2 DRINKING S h h u F m C S m t Corn St t City Plaza Central Library...... (see 3) Old Joint Stock...... 39 B2 e a St r R e nd Shopping n o Lionel St r u zo Council House...... 15 B3 Prague...... 40 C4 w t ur To Heartlands G Centre w S C o Hospital (1.5mi) Edm R n Fountain...... 16 B3 Sunflower Lounge...... 41 C4 w 14 le End o p ioB To National Indoor R t u Hall of Memory War Tap Spile...... 42 A3 m a 45 y 12 re e 5 r ll lbert St Arena (100m); o 39 T o a A C p S Dale Memorial...... 17 A3 Zinc...... 43 A3 lm w Chamberlain h r t West Midlands P o e o s C t 1 t a S r C n Fa Ikon Gallery...... 18 A3 S Sq B r ze Waterways (100m) r oo t y e ley e a rl e g 15 e S U e St d d 24 t n ri 3 a n u International Convention ENTERTAINMENT i n n W ple St d b s io R Cam e e o Q 22 16 38 n n s t S Centre...... 19 A3 Barfly...... 44 D4 d t t E r C n k Moor G dwa 35 s a o i 26 Tem 55 r 46 r H C 7 o Iron Man...... a 20 B3 Birmingham Academy...... 45 C2 c ill r St Station n St b d u 20 High St l Centenary 17 s Ethel 10 l Mailbox...... U 21 B3 Birmingham Repertory 19 P 28 a Sq Victoria 4 in Ne n fol w m Memorial toio Joseph Theatre...... 46 A3 St S n Sq d 11 C 23 51 St Chamberlain...... a 22 B3 Electric Cinema...... 47 B3 t 9 B n S Pallasades 54 s o a 33 d t rd National Sealife Centre...... l 23 A3 IMAX...... (see 25) a B S u es o r n Bullring c le r i o r y 13 B d ti i S Statue of QueenL Victoria...... 24 B3 Jam House...... 48 B1 42 g a 52 C t i 43 Suffolk St Queenswayig H St Martin’s v e av 's e Brindleyplace i n t Thinktank...... r 25 D2 Medicine Bar...... 49 D4 S N l New St ti in the Bullring p Gas l r t t S o t t a S S S Station M S Town Hall...... o 26 B3 Nightingale Club...... 50 C4 18 G y t St n l St Basin a n C r a n o S s id B e v a t 37 ll S u o e B Symphony Hall...... 51 A3 n t s d n S o 31 o l i i tr B ti l l r y t ta l er H S gbaston St R e St k 21 47 Ed in A 27 l M ey g ay St M SHOPPING S t Wharfside St 41 w o t ns a Bullring...... 52 C3 The e Dean t S t 58 ue P L D 44 k S To Edgbaston (1.5mi); Q e a igb il e City Plaza Shopping Centre..(see 14) Mailbox r e M t 49 34 ok s th a Bonds Books (1.75mi); o h Upper g t l al t r H d S il Custard Factory...... 53 D4 n S llb o ig o M5 (6mi) a l a r h o b M lonelyplanet.com ia Blucher St 36 30 e l C c m 56 S F 53 b h er S t i t Selfridges...... 54 C3 a a m m 32 G e L a m 40 S h o t t H g C St S n ad Thorp St 6 i h e t d TRANSPORT m ug H Arcadian S r Br Green ir y e o a o a v f d Buses to Balti Triangle...... 55 C3 B G w o r fo lo HCentre gr r St & ol s a d r H u om B St H Digbeth Coach Station...... 56 D4 te 57 rs r ig s To University of Birmingham (2.5mi); t B To Formule 1 (1.5 mi); Al h t e S C easyCar...... 57 B4 c S h Frash (2mi); Laundry & S r Barber Institute (2.5mi); Selly Oak (3mi); t Rea St e t l a D o ps Dry-Cleaning Centre (2.5mi); Acocks e Hertz...... 58 B4 Cadbury World (5mi); Bournville o id r W t 50 e it Row s Green (4mi); Airport (7mi); Coventry e Bath Village (5mi); Selly Manor (5mi); i n r (18mi); Warwick (25mi); Stratford (29mi) d M42 (8mi) B adjoins ChamberlainSq,withits unlit areas, particularlyifyou’re awoman. toavoid walkingalonelatewise in atnight has anedge toit.As inmostlarge cities,it’s theareaalthough aroundDigbethbusstation on themainstreets at2amasthere isat2pm, lonelyplanet.com by themodernist precinct. Itsnorthwestern cornerisformed cil House eye-catching architecture. Theimposing squares mayors.enlightened These share some Joseph Chamberlain Jacuzzi’), andadrab (nicknamed, amusingly,‘thefloozy inthe tures agiant The central pedestrians-only VictoriaSqfea- Town Centre SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES network. Ashowattheworld-class network. make apilgrimagetothe make trains headto a can take Follow thefour-day daystovisitoutlyingareas. schedulethenusetheextra Inthesummer, you One Week itinerary,butadda Follow thetwo-day Four Days to the Bank the Beingashamelessconsumerishungrywork,butBrindleyplacehastheanswer: alook. worth the trek uptothehistorical Factory have rejuvenated thecity.Perhaps workfromeasttowest.Take original inthequirkily asyou workthroughtheseriesofexceptionalcommercialredevelopmentsin yourpocket that There’s where Birminghamexcelsthesedays:shopping. nomistaking Feel yourcashburnahole Two Days BIRMINGHAM IN… Electric World collections. Forasweetinterlude, yourwaydowntothechocolateart make paradiseof Selfridges buildingandhundreds ofoutlets. Dipsouthtothechic that wasborninBirmingham. Sqs before youcatchabusortaxitothefamous inBirmingham’shistoricalcore aroundVictoria,of people-watching ChamberlainandCentenary Pre-Raphaelite-studded Factory nightsout.Gentlydoesit ondaytwo. –bothrocking Nourishthesoulwithfree, Birmingham isCoventry, with SirBasilSpence’sfantasticpostwar the which issymbolically joinedtothebombed-outoldcathedral. Or,foralongerjaunt,escapeto Peak District ( p416 ) restaurant placestoeat.Then isoneofthecity’s slickest retrace yoursteps either formsthenortheastern faceof the ( p412 ) foraseriously sugary experience. filmatthe Intheevening, inanart-house take Jam House ( p417 ) before headinguptothemore mainstream ( p417 cinema inthecountry. ), theoldestworking steam train fountain BIRMINGHAM ••Sights&Activities Lichfield Central Library Central , oneof more Birmingham’s ( p444 ) forthree daysoflong walksandcosypubs. ( p416 orthe ) intheJewelleryQuarter statue ofQueenVictoria of abathingwoman 48) o Shakespeare’s to (p418) Birmingham Museum Gallery &Art ( p426 three-spired cathedral.Twenty mileseastof), withitsmarvellous Barber Institute Jewellery Quarter , reminiscent of memorial to memorial Repertory cruise Coun- ( p413 ) toseeoneoftheregion’s mostoutstanding . It ( p417 onthe cards.) shouldbenext morning, Next Stratford-upon-Avon ( p414 canal) alongBirmingham’sextraordinary ( p412 ). Even ifthecredit hasrundry,itiswell Balti Triangle Gallery Gallery and there are often temporary exhibitions. the square isthe overlooked bytheRepertoryTheatre. Inside Centre western end bythe another pedestriansquare atthe off closed Sq, isastepdirection. inthesame wingless his ( p626), Antony Gormley’s whowon’tmakethose ittoGateshead tosee the Temple of andPolluxinRome. For Castor forerunner tolooklike toLondon’sblacktaxis) Hansomby Joseph (creator of thehansomcab, shop andcafécomplexnexttoit. an inverted withtheParadise ziggurat, Forum The impressive West of theprecinct, Sqis Centenary To thesouthis andtheSymphonyHall ( p417 ), and

( % Medicine Bar ( above ). Wethenrecommend abit Bullring 303 2834;www.bmag.org.uk; ChamberlainSq; ( p415 ) tosamplethecurrydish St Michael’sCathedral Mailbox ( p422 ). More conventional ( p417 ) withitsspace-age Hall of Memory WarMemorial Hall ofMemory Birmingham Museum & Art &Art Birmingham Museum Angel of the North Iron Man Town Hall (p416)intheCustard International Convention Convention International ( p412 ) andthentake (1993), on Victoria (1993),onVictoria (1834), designed (1834),designed Cadbury Custard ( p419), statue statue 411

, THE MIDLANDS MIDLANDS THE THE MIDLANDS the-art facilitydesignedbySirNorman Fos- production centre, andtheJewellery Quarter amajor haslong been jewellery Birmingham Jewellery Quarter otter is alsoafavourite sanctuary withkids. deliveringhorse babies.The histhousand getyou might arare of glimpse amalesea breeding facility–ifyou’resea-horse lucky it swarmswithexoticmarinelife. There’s a ter, isthelargest inlandaquariuminEngland; h .sealifeeurope.com; adult/child£12.50/8.50; 3aBrindleyplace; yourpockets.lighten culturalhotspots–butitwill ling between the adjoiningcaféisagreat optionforrefuel- visual art.TheSpanishcuisinedished upin has changing exhibitionsof contemporary dividedintosmallishschoolhouse rooms.It 6pm Tue-Sun) .co.uk; admissionfree; 1 OozellsSq,Brindleyplace; and smartrestaurants. conscious, bristlingwithdesignerboutiques southeast, theMailbox, more is even style- nightlife scene. tothe Asimilardevelopment the area westof Sqintoabuzzing Centenary bars created duringthe1990s,hastransformed ofdevelopment trendy shops,restaurants and of thecity.NearbyBrindleyplace, awaterfront intheheart right can moorintheGasStBasin nals thanVenice), andvisitingnarrowboats canal network(thecityactuallyhasmore ca- sitsattheheartofBirmingham England’s Gas Street,Brindleyplace&theMailbox fixion windows: the responsible forthemagnificentstained-glass Pre-Raphaelite artistEdwardBurne-Joneswas 1709and1715.The neoclassical stylebetween 8.30am-5.30pm Sat&Sun) Colmore Row;donationsrequested; striking cake inthecharming Edwardiantearoom. and Canaletto. Youcansipcoffee andnibble celain collectionandworksbyDegas,Renoir includeafinepor-paintings. Otherhighlights and arenowned collectionof Pre-Raphaelite history, archaeology andethnographyexhibits, 12.30-5pmSun) Fri, admission free; 412 seen atthewestern end,and seen The The One of England’ssmallestcathedrals, the 10am-4pm Mon-Fri, to5pmSat&Sun) 10am-4pm Mon-Fri, IMNHM • ihs&Atvte BIRMINGHAM ••Sights&Activities and National Sealife Centre Centre National Sealife Ikon Gallery Gallery Ikon Cathedral ChurchofStPhilip Cathedral isastylishlyconverted Gothic Ascension h hasdisplaysof localandnatural Last Judgement, 10am-5pm Mon-Thu &Sat,10.30am-5pm ( % , wasconstructed ina attheeastern end. 248 0708;www.ikon-gallery h ( % Nativity, 7am-7pm Mon-Fri, 7am-7pm Mon-Fri, which canbe 633 4700;www , astate-of- (

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Partly edu- The most obviousplacetokeep thekidsenter- BIRMINGHAM FORCHILDREN ( options,includingbuzzing night-time chock-a-blocktour, theArcadianCentre, with easily distractyoufromthefinallegof our partofthis well-heeled town,which could young thingsin opment loomsahead.Jointhecity’sbright the new,flashilyrevamped Mailbox devel- the canalandstrollsouthbywater where your reward. Nowtake thedownstairs exitby inanooks-and-cranniespubareales ontap this partof town,the parties andduckintotheoneoasisof in sanity thescreeching dash between henandlairystag lookleft.Quick, out toBroadSt.Lookright, be pampered. Appetite quenched? Nowcreep p416 ). Sitdownandletyourolfactorysenses the answerwithpeerless bit furtherandswankyBrindleyplacehasjust most timesof theyear. Hungryyet?Justalittle rary open-airexhibitionsdivert passers-by at get yourskates onattheicerink,whiletempo- the theatre Inwinter, fansandconcertgoers. 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It’soffKing advice ondaysoutbythewateranddetailshow Hasleaflets, 10am-5pmSat&SunApr-Oct) 5pm Mon-Fri, House,2Canalside; .waterscape.com; Cambrian local blackandAsianartists. toJune,showcasingworksfromup-and-coming from May festival, arts ham CityCouncilrunsthisground-breaking culture inthecountry;heldMay. celebrationsofgayandlesbian largest andmostcolourful Collide Pride Gay on parade. withmore than20,000canines largest dogshow,inMarch, Show Dog Crufts tural festivals. Here are someof thehighlights. hasanumberofBirmingham interesting cul- FESTIVALS &EVENTS Waterways West Midlands Sherborne Wharf Cruises CityCanal Second TOURS Edgbaston to Selly Oak (southwest). Oak Edgbaston toSelly Green (southeast)and thearea stretching from mile radiusof thecentre, especiallyinAcocks Few B&Bsare central,butmany lie withina3- the touristoffice,which also makes bookings. weekend. Check online oraskabout specialsat spectrum, butoften reduce theirrates atthe and are endof usuallyatthehigher theprice hotels tend tocourtbusinessvisitorsCentral SLEEPING Horse oftheYear Show usually openornormallychargeanentrancefee. thatare not properties allows visitorsfree accesstohistoric in September Thisuniqueevent .heritageopendays.org) Days Open Heritage Artsfest Festival Latin American tional ConventionCentre quayside. adult/child £4.50/4)CanalcruisesleavefromtheInterna- Sat&SunonlyNov–mid-Apr; & 4pmdailymid-Apr–Oct, .co.uk; SherborneSt; jumping equestrian event inOctober. event jumping equestrian venuesacrossthecityinSeptember.ances invarious danceandmusicalperform- festival features visualarts, community andculture inBirmingham. annual festival inJune/JulycelebratestheLatinAmerican Shop in Gas StBasin. Shop inGas tours leavebyarrangementfromtheCanalsideSouvenir .secondcityboats.co.uk; adult/child£3.50/2.50)Hour-long ( p417 complex. ) cinemainthesame them withabsorbing3DfilmsattheIMAX ( % (www.artsfest.org.uk) The UK’s largest free arts TheUK’slargestfree arts (www.artsfest.org.uk) (www.birminghamgaypride.co.uk) Oneofthe 303 3984; www.collide-arts.co.uk) Birming- 303 3984;www.collide-arts.co.uk) Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com (www.crufts.org.uk) Theworld’s ( h % ( % trips at11.30am,1pm,2.30pm trips 455 6163;www.sherbornewharf (www.hoys.co.uk) Topshow- (www.abslatin.co.uk) This 0870 2405251;www ( % ( % 236 9811;www 200 7400;www h 9am- what you’re getting here: aspotlessidentikit lodge.co.uk; FountainRd;s/dinclbreakfast £55/75; comfortable butsomehowcomfortable is. Roomsare tiny Ladywell Walk;d£56.95; It’s not salubrious, but it seems secure. The butitseems It’s notsalubrious, place ashort walkfromDigbethbusstation. only backpackers jointintown,avery basic [email protected]; 58CoventrySt;dm£17; Billy’s Hostel Budget lonelyplanet.com Birmingham hotels, theBurlington islavishlyBirmingham £90/130; Burlington Arcade,126New St;s/dSun-Thu &Sat £145/155,Fri Burlington Hotel Top End Parking is£10pernight. it’s inaconvenient out. location foranight byChinatown, Within theArcadianCentre get hotel inthesame chain inMozambique. wallpaper thatyou’llroom withthesame frilly butnotoverly so. the summermonths. White-linen roomsare owners take prideintheirterrace, a boon in main roadinsouthwestEdgbaston.Affable this isstillconveniently located justoff the Removed fromthebustleof thecitycentre, cosyratherthan cramped. make itseem Yet thecustom-madebedsand leatherfittings webcamimagesmingham instead of windows. screens withliveand have Bir- giantplasmaTV r £49.95; and atop-notch cooked breakfast. 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pi ( ( % % 472 1258;www.awentsbury 429 1003;www.westbourne ) Youknowexactly p pi It’s the ) p ) ) makes thisbar-restaurant the venue of choice and plush sofas dimmedlighting racotta, – Fri &Sat; Fri Rd, Sparkbrook;mains£3-8; nean-influenced menu – the same asinthe nean-influenced menu–the same for theMailbox TheMediterra- smartset. to 10.30pmSun) £8-13, 2-coursesetlunch£8; wine pricesaddacertain perfect forgroupdining– andreasonable house walls, aspaciousdiningarea, longbenches – upatthisexcellentbistro. served Burgundy French definesthegreat-tasting dishes finesse course lunch£7.90; noodles (£6.80). withcrispy beef We liked thesizzlingsatay andkeeps thepricesreasonablyhigh low. cafélike restaurant Chinese heapstheportions Run byasupernicefamily,thissimple,dinky, Centre, Pershore St;mains£6-9; Rd. ask thedriver tostopbyLadypool Ifyou’re gettinggood-natured thebus service. the massive excellent-value portions,andthe the flourishes–there aren’t any.Justgofor legendary balti.Don’tgofor Birmingham 6, 12,31or37fromCorporationSt. .thebaltiguide.com) andheadoutonbus4,5, thewebsite www (orsee in thetouristoffice the centre. Pickupacomplete listingsleaflet Triangle Balti inSparkbrook, 2milessouthof country. TheheartlandistheBirmingham acrossthe adopted bycurryhouses has been to cuisine isthebalti,aPakistani dishthat mostfamouscontributionBirmingham’s EATING are foritsbistrorestaurant. advised spas are alloptions fortheindulgent. Bookings ing thecourtyard.Manicures, and massages the bedrooms.Ask foraninsideroomoverlook- tian linenandduck-downduvets characterise bizarrely, Egyp- fromaVictorianeyehospital. opulentboutiquehotel, converted, is aseriously St; dfrom£135; cuisine.Continental restaurant isafineoptionforsophisticated are 112rooms),itfeels quite personal andthe bathtubs.Despitestand-alone itssize(there glass lampshades. Someclassicroomshave furnished withmarblehallwaysandexpensive Chez Jules Arcadian Palace duVin Hotel a Estilo Bar Al Frash p

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THE MIDLANDS MIDLANDS THE THE MIDLANDS way near the New St train station, this is a way neartheNew Sttrainstation, bar inanunlikely byadualcarriage- setting traditional pubisallhiddenalcoves andcor- Thu, to 4am Fri &Sat) Thu, to4amFri tiny underground venue. basement soundtrack. Live gigsoccurregularly in the the indiecrowd,and withagreat alternative relatively undiscovered littlegem favoured by 1pm-2am Sat,5pm-10.30pmSun) Queensway; ales,make itworth astop. half-decent and impressive together withsome setting, without asmile. Buttheglittering furnishings of aformerbank,ismarred beer, byservice h of hereselection alesontap too. tinthatisthetopbar.sardine There’s agood ners, especiallyonceyoumove awayfromthe you knowwhere tolook. There are, more however, thanafew gems if unappealingmainBroadStdrag. the deeply Chain pubs litter thecitycentre, especiallyon DRINKING special. the sophisticated modern-Brit dishes are quite fish bowl,butmostdiners don’tcomplain– this swankyrestaurant abitof aculinarygold- dinner Sat&Sun; mains £12-20; tions are recommended. Blanc.Reserva- superchef Raymond Française place exhibitsallthehallmarksof itsowner, with contemporary French cuisine,this 11pm Sat,noon-10pmSun) £10-17; side. canbeonthehaughty service although restaurant isamagnetforlocalcelebrities– manage,most mammasever thisslickcentral 16; from themenu! of dimsum,thebiggest challenge isselecting ous Chinatownfavourite. With70varieties dishes atthiscavern-fault thefineCantonese andyou’llbehard-pressed to surly service £8-14; able, especiallyatlunchtime. restaurant’s London-based siblings–isreason- 416 h Bank San Carlo Sunflower Lounge Old JointStock Tap &Spile Le Petit Blanc Garden Chung Ying closed Sun) IMNHM • rnig BIRMINGHAM ••Drinking h noon-11pm) h

( % noon-11pm) h noon-2.45pm & 5.30-10.30pm Mon-Fri, noon- noon-2.45pm &5.30-10.30pmMon-Fri, h Thisvast,high-ceilinged cathedral 633 4466; 4 Brindleyplace; 3-coursemeal£12.50, 633 4466;4Brindleyplace; ( ( noon-11pm Mon-Wed, noon-1am Thu & Fri, noon-11pm Mon-Wed,noon-1amThu&Fri, p % % breakfast, lunch & dinner Mon-Fri, lunch& breakfast, lunch&dinner Mon-Fri, With Italian food far better than foodfarbetterWith Italian than

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633 7333; 9 Brindleyplace; mains 633 7333;9Brindleyplace; ( % ( 200 1892;4Temple RowWest; % 666 6622;17ThorpSt;mains 472 0138;76Smallbrook A quirkylittlemod h 11am-11pm Sun- in the hippest, most happening nightspot in in thehippest,mosthappeningnightspot they knowonlytoowellare mixingit working thisjointare toocoolforschool. But pop venue intown, attractingbig-name acts– Asian dubtohip-hopelectropop.Ablast. town withatrulyeclecticrange of from nights, Custard Factory, GibbSt; at anyof thefollowing. how rockingthecity’safter-hours life canbe outinthecountry.Discoverbest nights just isthrobbingwithsomeofBirmingham the Nightclubs going on. the listingsin to bookonlinethanonthephone. Alsocheck ( thenational through purchased Tickets formost canbe events Birmingham ENTERTAINMENT menu andrelaxed jazzandfunksoundtrack. modern Conranbar-diner withanenticing dishes are alsoserved. revellers.cadian Centre Portuguese-inspired this thebarof choice amongdiscerningAr- cool, funk-grooved dancesoundtrackmake white-tile floor; glammed-upcrowds;anda Mon-Wed, to2amThu-Sat,midnightSun) ham-academy.co.uk; 52-54Dale End) notes too.right cuisine of the top-floor restaurant hitsallthe And ifyou’re feeling like asplurge, theglobal Drinks are pricey,butthevibeisworthit. casional reggae andska. Thisis areal treat. R&B androck’n’roll,mixed inwiththeoc- live-music barthatfeatures live swing,jazz, directs thetuneshere, classy aneffortlessly 6pm-2am Sat) Paul’s Sq; Jam House Live Music known breeding groundfortop-nameDJs. as theregion’s premier gayclubandisa than three decadesof action,itstilltopspolls rocking theupstairs. Remarkably,after more with poponthebottomfloor,andtechno rocksonthreeclub, theNightingale levels, late) % Birmingham Academy Club Nightingale Bar Medicine Zinc Prague Birmingham’s most established gaynight- mostestablished Birmingham’s 08700 600100;www.ticketweb.co.uk)

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( % magazineforwhat’s The best rock and Thebest rockand 262 3000;www.birming lonelyplanet.com Leather sofas; Leather . Itischeaper h Thecrew TicketWeb 11am-11pm Über- h 5pm- places to shop in Birmingham, full ofplaces to shop inBirmingham, origi- out early,butlocalmatches are usuallyavail- ing stable forup-and-comingindiebands, ing stable St) High areguests. Itsindieclubnights abigdrawtoo. The Strokes andPrimalScream are recent lonelyplanet.com Gibb St,Digbeth) Factory Custard SHOPPING for theuninitiated. able. TheTwenty20gamesare even pulsating, £12) from www.edgbaston.com; CountyGround,Edgbaston; tickets arena northof thecitycentre. Midlands’ mostenduringteams, playsinthis from £25/15) Park Villa Sport buildingastheThinktank. same with afive-storey inthe screen, ishoused £6.50/4.50) interesting line-up. art-house oldest workingcinemaintheUK.Ithasan rolling here 100years, fornigh makingitthe 47-49 StationSt;adult/child£6/4) from London’sbesttheatres. Cowardcomediesandplaysfreshdrama, Noel Door,‘theRep’presentsperimental top-notch venues, theMain andthemore House ex- .birmingham-rep.co.uk; CentenarySq,BroadSt) Theatre Birmingham Repertory Theatre &Cinemas EdwardsRd) 2937; King its sister venue, the Airport, hostsmajor rockandpopacts,asdoes ( acts alsofeature. for itssuperbacoustics.Worldmusicandjazz ultramodern SymphonyHall, which isknown outthe SymphonyOrchestra,mingham seek including performancesbytheCityof Bir- from£7.50) .co.uk; BroadSt;tickets thicker. TheentranceisonMilkSt. getting bigger, andthecrowdsare getting Itiswarmingupnow–thebandsarenight. spawned bythesuccessof aLondon-based % Club CountyCricket Warwickshire IMAX The giant Symphony Hall lcrc Cinema Electric Barfly Tickets forinternational test matches sell 767 2937) Recently opened,thisplaceisagroom- ( %

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% 767 visit forthearchitecture alone. departmentstoreThe Selfridges iswortha worth of shops,boutiquesand restaurants’. gleaming mallboasting‘26footballpitches from Snow HillandMoorSt stations. Avon (£5.40single, 50minutes, hourly),run toStratford-upon- such asthose Other services, advance single,1¾ hours, 15minutes). every 30minutes)every andManchester (£9.50value London (£14.50valueadvancesingle, 1½hours, Pallasades shopping centre, to including those Virgin beneaththe TrainsfromNew Ststation, Most longer trains are distance operated by Train ham MoorSt. (1¼hours)hourly onweekdays fromBirming- daily). BusX20runstoStratford-upon-Avon daily) andManchester (£11.20,2½hours, 11 hours, hourly),Oxford (£10.20,1½hours, five around EnglandincludingLondon(£14.50,2¾ anddestinations Birmingham coaches between press knocked downandrebuilt soon. coach which station, thankfullyisduetobe runfromdismalDigbeth Most intercity buses Bus Birmingham. York. It’sabout 8 mileseastof thecentre of mainly toEuropeandestinationsandNew ( hasabusy Birmingham Air GETTING THERE&AWAY is the retailnotable outletsandartisans. Jewellery Quarter ( p412 ) hasleafletsdetailing ellery, watches andmore. of TheMuseum the traditionally handcrafted goldandsilver jew- there are more thanahundred shopsselling tured inEnglandcomesfromthisregion and MuchBirmingham. of thejewellerymanufac- obvious placeforuniquelocalshopping in for someretro-chic clothingandfurnishings. an artsandmediacentre; trytheUrbanVillage wanted. Funkyniche shopsare dotted between knewyou able placetobuythingsyounever eye-catchingtastic, isamemor- development magnateby custard SirAlfred Bird,thisfan- the buildingwasconstructed acenturyago nal, independentshops. Sonamedbecause % Jewellery Quarter Quarter Jewellery Another option for serious retailAnother optionforserious therapy 0870 7335511;www.bhx.co.uk) ( % Bullring Bullring 08705 808080;www.nationalexpress.com) ( % 632 1500) (www.the-quarter.com) , ahellhole-turned– international airport international withflights National Ex- The runs runs 417

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o n THE MIDLANDS MIDLANDS THE THE MIDLANDS outside theSwan Theatre on Waterside. the RoyalShakespeare Company,andleaves Harvard, after UniversityHarvard, whomHarvard in speare properties.They operate onajump-on, fewer inwinter) Apr-Sep, www.city-sightseeing.com; adult/child£9/4; ( £5/3; group forthe Theatre. Chill-seekers canalsogotothesame justbythe RoyalShakespeareSwan fountain h Two-hour Tours attended; itwasoriginallytheGuildhall. Edward VISchool Nextdooris day ApriltoSeptember). (10amWednesdayandnoonSatur- services century. It’snotopentothepublicexceptfor itwasrebuiltfrom 1269,though inthe15th behind thescenesof aworkingtheatre. vary, callinadvancetocheck) £5/4; 1110; adult/childincladmissiontoRSCGallery theatrical paraphernalia. sorbing displayof props,costumes,photosand Sun) 617; admissionfree; a houses the USAwasnamedin17thcentury.Itnow &Oct) Jun, Sep ticket; St;adult/child £2.75/free, Houses free withShakespeare 407; High thus assumed tobeagood likeness. Shakespeare’s deathbutbefore hiswife’s and his wife, andabustcreated years after seven tism andburialrecords, thegraves of Willand chancel are photocopiesof Shakespeare’s bap- mid-13th centuryare theoldestpart.In of theRiver Avon. fromthe Thetransepts situatedbuilding initsownright, onthebanks as Shakespeare liesburied here. It’salovely the mostvisited parishchurch inEngland, speare’s graveadult/child £1/50p) admissiontochurchfree, Shake- 12.30-5pm SunNov-Mar; 9am-4pmMon-Sat, 6pm Mon-Sat,12.30-5pmSunApr-Oct, Church Holy Trinity OTHER SIGHTS of rare farmanimals. properties toappreciate itsuniquecollection 424 % The exuberantly carved The exuberantlycarved Open-top buses ofOpen-top buses The The , insidetheSwanTheatre, isasmallbutab- tours 11amMon-Wed,2pmThu-Sun) 292478; adult/child£8/6; h h AWCSIE • tafr-pnAo WARWICKSHIRE ••Stratford-upon-Avon Guild Chapel Royal Shakespeare CompanyGallery Royal Shakespeare 7.30pm Mon, Thu & Fri) 7.30pm Mon,Thu&Fri) noon-5pm Wed-Sun Jul-Sep, Wed, Thu, Sat & Sun May, Wed,Thu,Sat&SunMay, noon-5pm Wed-SunJul-Sep, Museum of British Pewter ofBritish Museum washometothemotherof John guided walks Stratford TownGhostWalk h , which Shakespeare probably ( 1.30-6.30pm Mon-Sat, 11.15am-4.15pm 1.30-6.30pm Mon-Sat,11.15am-4.15pm %

(cnr ChapelLane&ChurchSt) gotoeach of the Shake- offer a fascinating glimpse offer afascinatingglimpse 266316; OldTown; City Sightseeing ( h

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13 EveshamPl;s/dfrom £36/70; Earth colours aboundandtheB&Biscorre-Earth incl breakfast £26/52; cards notaccepted. fill youinonthelatest performances.Credit ers are keen theatregoers themselves, andcan spondingly warmandcomfortable. Theown- pn sants.demon.co.uk; 33EveshamPl;s/dinclbreakfast £26/52; to Alveston fromBridge St. along Tiddington X17/18/18Arun Rd.Buses mansion 1.5mileseastof thetowncentre This four-star YHA isinalarge, 200-year-old breakfast members/nonmembers£19.95/22.95; [email protected]; House,Alveston;dmincl Hemmingford Stratford-upon-Avon Hostel YHA BUDGET £3 plus10%deposittofindsomething. any of thefollowing,touristoffice charges pecially duringsummer. Ifthere’s noroomat Vacanciesrian houses. canbehardtofind,es- offer good-qualityroomsinattractive Victo- they fillupfast.B&Bsare and plentifulthough, range of manyindependenttravellers, and group travel, sothey’re often outof theprice Stratford’s bighotels tend tobegeared towards Sleeping houses. getting totheout-of-town basis,andarejump-off aconvenient wayof served onWedgwood china. served Shakespeare Company governors. Breakfast is brass bedframes,thisoncebelonged toRoyal market B&B,withflowery frillsandgleaming ian optionsforbreakfast. owners provide healthy organic andvegetar- Bond andShakespeare. Impeccablyattentive Rooms have anunusualmixof themes–James rable B&Bare frilly,almostfeminine affairs. hind thewhitewashed façadeof thismemo- Pristine tothepointof fussy, theroomsbe- .com; 40AlcesterRd;s/dinclbreakfast from£40/65; House Moonraker MIDRANGE GuestHouse Carlton Stratford Racecourse reasonable en-suiteroomsavailable. Evesham Rdamilewestoftown. pitches £10; [email protected]; Luddington Rd;2-person Quilts &Croissants Other goodbudget options: Twelfth Night Twelfth ) Alikeable familywelcomesyouhere. h Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com Easter-Sep; Easter-Sep;

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options onthegourmetSheep Ststrip,this The mostdown-to-earthof allthe restaurant the imposingmanor-house doortothearis- as essential asatriptothetheatre. as essential Officially one drinkinStratford,comehere. It’salmost bed headboardstotheatmosphericallyun- of acenturies-oldhotel are here, fromcarved Rother St;s/dfrom£60/80; Swan White TOP END lonelyplanet.com restaurant (11am to10pm)is goodvalue. location across fromtheriver. Theadjoining like anactors’ regulars (Olivier,Attenboroughetc)that reads watering hole,andhasaroll callof former isafavouritehouse postperformancethespian called theBlackSwan,thisenchanting ale- Duck Dirty Drinking pany youare keeping thatcounts,mydear. lamb (£15.95),are notcheap, butit’sthecom- sophistication. Dishes,such of asroasted saddle tocratic interior, thiscourses witheffortless 2pm Mon-Sun,plus5-10pmMon-Sat,6-9.30pmSun) by theentirely glass-panelledfront. gredients, Moon’s isrelaxed; it’sdistinguished who loved Englishfoodspicedwithlocalin- 14; inventivecludes several vegetarian options. place isunpretentious andfun.Themenuin- h eating options,mostlyaimedattheatregoers. Sheep Stisclustered withrefined butrelaxed gry: there’s noshortage of goodrestaurants. Shakespearean tourismclearlymakes youhun- Eating up thetown’srich Elizabethan heritage. rooms, theyare theperfect forsoaking base headboards complemented byluxurybath- to get into,butwiththeirwooden-panelled Shakespeare’s plays.Some youhave tostoop The pickof theroomsare namedafter those hotel, theclassiestinStratfordbyasonnet. yrinth of roomsenchants guestsatthisclassic ChapelSt;s/d£128/138; speare-hotel.co.uk; roomsarethe standard quite ordinary. 103 isperhaps themostcharming) ifpossible– ofpanelled delights the traditionalrooms(room floors.even Roomsdovary.Plumpfortheoak- h Lambs WineBar Vintner Hotel Shakespeare Edward Moon’s 10am-10pm Mon-Thu, &Sat,to9.30pmSun) to11pmFri lunch &dinner)

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restaurant dishesare atreat. yard andowners whoare real foodies–the court- this populargastropubhasapleasant clientele, andsun-tanned with leatherseats fine route toWilmcote. speare properties. Thecanaltowpath offers a surrounding countryside ortheruralShake- but abicycleisgood forgetting outtothe toexploreStratford issmall enough onfoot, BICYCLE Getting Around turn £20/10,onehour,twiceeach Sunday). (adult/childStratford stations single £10/5,re- SnowHilland Birmingham operates between train steam (£15.00, 3½hours, three daily). (£8.30, onehour,daily)andLondonVictoria ham (£6.50,onehour,twicedaily),Oxford ford’s Riverside includeBirming- BusStation returns (£15)are often available after 11am. ices toLondonMarylebone (2¼hours). Cheap the centre. offers Chiltern direct Railways serv- isafewThe trainstation minutes’ walkwestof Getting There&Away tickets soldonthedayof performance. Thereahead forgoodseats. are usuallyafew orcheck –andbook thewebsiteCall fordetails and othergroups,plusdiscountsforpreviews. there are offers forunder25s,students,seniors depend ontheperformanceandvenue, but yard Theatre bytheOtherPlace. Ticket prices will take placeinthestrikingtemporary Court- refurbishment insummer2007.Performances Other Place. Themaintheatre for willclose tre, the adjacentSwanTheatre orthenearby take placeinthemainRoyalShakespeare Thea- classics aswellcontemporary offerings and Performances standard. high includetheBard’s the boardshere andproductionsare of avery production isamust.Major stars have trod £5-42; tickets www.rsc.org.uk; Theatre; boxofficeinsideRoyalShakespeare Company Shakespeare Royal Entertainment the liveliest placesintown. around awhile. Despite itsage it’sstilloneof flowed fromShakespeare’s quill–it’sbeen ing here timeasrhymingcouplets atthesame Windmill Inn In JulyandAugust,the National Express destinationsfromStrat- One Elm

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THE MIDLANDS MIDLANDS THE THE MIDLANDS the old sign saying Pashleythe oldsignsaying Cycles). Henleydown alittlealleyoff St(lookoutfor from £6/10; worth the tripalone. something It’salsobeen three-spiredmental Gothic masterpiece thatis England’s mostbeautiful cathedrals,amonu- This pretty market town is hometooneof % LICHFIELD Trains Virgin Line Travel Trains Central Getting There&Around where andwhattodointhecounty. tostay fordshire.gov.uk/tourism) Tourism Staffordshire Information justsouthwestof thecentre.and Stafford Alton Towers justsouth;Lichfield southeast; west; thePeak northeast,with DistrictandLeek aroundthecounty:Stokeevenly tothenorth- attractionsareStaffordshire’s spread fairly Orientation are among thecounty’sothercharms. and theneoclassical mansionof Shugborough ful cathedral,thewildridesatAltonTowers, ofhaunting Gothicmight Lichfield’s wonder- the Peak DistrictknownastheRoaches. The walkers andcyclists,tothepricklyspineof amagnetfor Chase, from rollingCannock has asurprisingabundance of naturalbeauty, of andManchester, Birmingham thecounty it’stucked theurbansprawls Though between took thattomean‘boring’you’dbemistaken. by searchers after theextreme’ –butifyou ‘unsung haslongbeen elist ArnoldBennett, inthewordsofStaffordshire, Stoke-born nov- STAFFORDSHIRE ber) leaving fromtheHolidayInnhotel pier. trips (adult/child £4.50/2,dailyApriltoOcto- ( per 30min£3/2) from androwingboatsarePunts, canoes available BOAT 426 s.co.uk) % Clarkes Cycles Clarkes 01543 /pop27,900 269669; www.bancroftcruises.co.uk) TFODHR • Lcfed STAFFORDSHIRE ••Lichfield Rose’s Boathouse h ( % ( byCloptonBridge. % 9.15am-5pm Tue-Sat) ( % 0870 6082608)

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of the mostremarkable figures inthehistory new Lichfield Garricktheatre. cal work in 2003, a Saxon statue ofcal workin2003,aSaxonstatue theArch- glass. Followingarchaeologi-Flemish stained Chapeltotheeastboasts16th-century Lady mid-13th-century chapterhouse, whilethe which isdisplayedinthebeautifullyvaulted script fromAD730,the 1200and1350. between various rebuildings of theNormancathedral dates Mostof fromthe night. whatyousee spires –especiallywhentheyare floodlitby you lookuptothecathedral’shallmarkthree you won’tbethefirst bumpsas toget goose ened façadefromtownbyMinster Pondand I, andthemajor Approach saints. theblack- of thekingsof EnglandfromEdgartoHenry statues front adornedwithexquisitely carved donation £4; The magnificent CATHEDRAL LICHFIELD Sights &Activities 6pm Mon-Sat) CastleDyke; www.visitlichfield.com; LichfieldGarrick, The thinlystretched Information studied here foryears. and amanof lived note inhisownright, and and ErasmusDarwin,Charles’grandfather lexicographer SamuelJohnson wasbornhere, of initstime:famedwitand athink-tank Johnson was immortalised in thefamousbi- Johnson wasimmortalised ited withinventing the dictionary,Samuel that belonged father. to hisbookseller Cred- years inthisramshackle, five-floored property was bornhere in1709andspent hisformative lexicographer(dictionary-maker),pioneering of theEnglishlanguage. SamuelJohnson, the noon-4.30pmOct-Mar) Apr-Sep, St;admission free; museum; Breadmarket Museum Birthplace The amateurish butabsorbing OTHER SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES isalsorewarding.century houses, which is ringed withimposing17th-and18th- Monday toSaturdayand1.30pmSunday. itshouldsoonbeondisplay. work succeeds, attracting alotof press interest. Ifrestoration angel Gabrielwasuncovered beneaththe nave, There are tours of thecathedralat2pm Inside, there isasuperbilluminated manu- A strollroundthetranquil h doublesasthebox forthe office 7am-6pm)

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, Erasmus Darwin was himself aremarkableErasmus Darwinwashimself the computer inthe inspect theground-breaking dictionaryusing friendJamesby hisclose Boswell.Youcan ography Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com tral Lichfield withtrains City trainstation, isopposite thecen- hourly). The busstation (both £2.60single,1¼hours, Stafford serves whilethe825 Bus 112runstoBirmingham, Getting There& Away Lichfield’s mostwelcomingalehouse. live musiconThursday andSaturday.Itis shakenbeen upbynewowners whoputon call. Atraditionalolde-worldepub, ithas days. Thisplaceshouldbeyourfirst portof years ago,andthere are pubsaplentythese decent peopleinEngland’–butthatwas250 son describedLichfield folkas‘themostsober, meal £14.50). afull Sundaylunchor even (three-courses or snackpitstop, café isidealforacaffeine withaviewontosomefinegardens,this house Sat, noon-4.45pmSun) Close; sandwiches&salads£4-5; CoffeeShop Cathedral Chapters Eating &Drinking andconvenient. ally comfortable Western group)isgener-(now partof theBest side, andpartsare abitworn,buttheGeorge city. Someof thedoublebedserronsmall 18th-century coaching innintheheartof the A rabbitwarren of this roomswinds through 12-14 BirdSt;s/dMon-Thu £48/58; from£82/99,Fri-Sun call inadvancetomake arrangements. youshouldsign outsidethislisted townhouse; family homethatdoublesasaB&B. There’s no looms large over acomfortable No8TheClose, The Close;s/dinclbreakfast from£30/50) No 8 Sleeping ies such asWedgwood,BoultonandWatt. his variedworkandassociationwithluminar- personal items.anddisplaysillustrate Exhibits memorates hislife withavideo,pictures and wherehouse helived from1758to1781,com- h Centre Darwin influencingtheRomantics. The poet, autodidact, doctor,inventor, philosopherand King’s Head King’s Hotel George Grandfather of themore famousCharles, noon-5pm Tue-Sun, lastadmission4.15pm)

( % 418483; www.ldb.co.uk/accommodation.htm; 8 The Life of Johnson, Samuel

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) covers thehistory of thePotteries andhouses 10am-4pmMon-Sat, 1-4pmSunNov-Feb) 2-5pm SunMar-Oct, Bethesda St,Hanley;admission free; system andtheabolitionof slavery. behind theconstructionof England’scanal innovative potter, hewas alsoadrivingforce of founderJosiahWedgwood(1730–95).An interesting are thefilmanddisplaysonlife churning outperfect plates andmugs.Equally of Wars–esque Star anthropomorphicrobots china whileyouwatch, andbestof all,atroupe whodeftlypaintdesignsonto pieces, artisans Tours take inanextensive collectionof historic intobone-chinacinating insight production. 80 hectares of attractive parkland,offers afas- Sun £6; £8,Sat& .thewedgwoodvisitorcentre.com; Barlaston;Mon-Fri The Sights &Activities rooms, factoryshops andvisitorcentres. a mapwiththelocationsof the variousshow- 5.15pm Mon-Sat) Hall,BagnallSt,Hanley; .visitstoke.co.uk; Victoria Ask atthehelpful Information is inthecentre of Hanley. entrance runthere inminutes. Thebusstation of Hanley, fromoutsidethemain butbuses centre’. Stoke-on-Trent issouth trainstation called thePotteries. Hanley istheofficial‘city Stoke, Fenton andLongton,together often bie Williams’hometown),Burslem, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent ismadeupof (Rob- Tunstall Orientation Stoke actuallyconsistsof sixtowns). of the Five Towns area initsindustrialheydayhisnovel memorabledescriptionsof the nold Bennett’s is famed.Forapreview of Stoke, check outAr- department: theporcelainforwhich thecity limited appealtothevisitor,exceptinone inpotterycally important production,holds histori- industrialheart,though Staffordshire’s % STOKE-ON-TRENT about 20minutes’station, walkfromtown. daily)departfromLichfieldeight Trent Valley Euston (fromonehour15minutes, around 15minutes).every Direct trainstoLondon (30minutes, NewStstation to Birmingham The 01782 /pop240,636 Wedgwood Visitor Centre Centre Wedgwood Visitor h Potteries Museum & Art Gallery &Art Museum Potteries 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-5pmSat&Sun) 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, , adjacent to the bus station, for , adjacenttothebusstation, (somethingof amisnomeras tourist office tourist ( % h 0870 6061759;www 10am-5pm Mon-Sat, ( % 236000; www (

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THE MIDLANDS MIDLANDS THE THE MIDLANDS skilled potters tell visitors about theirwork. tic workingVictorianpottery factorywhere hosts. Much more basicisthe 1 milefromthepark) withaccommodating in an1845listed school building(just over YHA Hostel d inclbreakfast £60) Rd,Alton; 702151; [email protected];CastleHill B&Bs. with several isanattractivetion options.Altonitself village park’s website features alist of accommoda- visitors innearby villages. opttostay The duringschool holidays. highest prices are astheridesandare almost assteep roller coasters, logflumesandmore. Entry vertical dropof theOblivion,upside-down more than 100rides,includingtheterrifying lute mustfor white-knuckle fiends.There are longerhoursmid-Mar–Sep) Oct–mid-Mar, towers.com; adult/under12yr£29.50/19; park, mostpopulartheme Britain’s Deservedly Alton Towers Moreton isoff theA34southof Congleton. of romance.and anindefinablesense Little there are of wallpaintings aseries important 16th century;withinitsover-the-top exterior 11.30am-4pm Sat&SunNov-lateDec) child £5.50/2.80; house timber-framed black-and-whiteEngland’s mostspectacular Little MoretonHall AROUND STOKE-ON-TRENT London (1¾hours). minutes, 30minutes), every andhourlyto (20 hours, daily).TrainsruntoStafford eight (four hours, five daily)andManchester (1½ National Express coaches runto/fromLondon Getting There&Away fromHanley.6a gotothemuseum modern hi-tech conveniences. 6and Buses shared to privyholes(withsmelleffects!) the storyof thetoiletfromchamber potsand Flushed WithPrideexhibition,which charts ofThose ascatologicalbentwillenjoythe adult/child £4.95/3.50; Museum Pottery bottle kiln,thewonderfullyevocative well asafine-artcollection(Picasso,Degas). an impressively extensive ceramicsdisplayas 428 There’s ahotel withinthepark,butmost Constructed aroundStoke’s lastremaining OTAPOSIE • otapo ••Northampton NORTHAMPTONSHIRE AltonTowers

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( % Gladstone 01538- Traveline the middle. Attractionsare scattered. county justbelowNorthampton,which liesin northeast. TheM1cutsdiagonallyacrossthe and 20mileswide,runningsouthwestto Northamptonshire 50mileslong isroughly Orientation &Information totake initscharms.masses ism blockbuster, youdon’thave the tofight for drivingand,asthere’s nosingletour- cottages homes.It’sagreat andstately region coloured historictownswithpretty thatched clude somehistoricSaxonchurches, honey- eccentrics. Itsfar-flung attractionsalsoin- of PrincessDiana,footwearandreligious amptonshire hasspecialrelevance forfans villages andwindingcountrylanes, North- itsobviousappealasabatch of prettyBeyond NORTHAMPTONSHIRE website forcurrent details. ages fromLondonandothercities;check the ous traincompaniesoffer all-in-onepack- B5032. Publictransportissketchy, butvari- of goodramblesaroundthehostel too. 2 milesnorthwestof thepark.There are plenty dmmembers/nonmembers£11.95/14.95) .uk; Oakamoor; land, and Mary of Queen Scots wasexecuted cityin Eng- it wasperhaps themostimportant steeped inhistorical significance. InSaxondays Unassuming Northampton issurprisingly % NORTHAMPTON Stagecoach with theoperator. a few timesdaily,soit’sbest tocheck times canbesporadic;somerunonly but services from Northamptonandothernearbytowns, companies have branches inNorthampton. the joysof theregion. Allthemajor car-hire villageand comingacrossasleepy isoneof Turning acorneronwindingcountrylane themostof thecounty. Driving isthewaytosee Getting Around ampton’s touristoffice. amptonshire.co.uk. visitNorth- Otherwise, the county,check thewebsite www.visitnorth Buses doruntomostplacesofBuses interest For general (butsketc Alton Towers iseastof Cheadleoffthe 01604 /pop194,458

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( % 230777; www.thepicturedrome.com; 230777; www.thepicturedrome.com; ( 624811; www.northamptontheatres % Madame Butterfly 603800; 67-83 Bridge St;mains 603800; 67-83Bridge hadanacclaimed Althorp House h

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This . The 429 THE MIDLANDS MIDLANDS THE THE MIDLANDS lages, arich industrialheritage andafew key picturesquetions, yet itboastsseveral vil- playsdownitsownattrac- self-deprecatingly In typicalMidlands fashion, Leicestershire RUTLAND LEICESTERSHIRE & the A43. Corby is9milesnorthof Kettering along roaming itsrestored formalparterre gardens. ravens cawingintheemptyhallsandpeacocks Mansfield Park the locationfor1999filmof Jane Austen’s remarkable, as atmosphericsite –itwasused Abandoned andfallenintodisrepair, it’sstilla additions were madeuptothe19thcentury. 10am-4pm Thu-MonNov-Mar) 10am-6pmdailyJul&Aug, 5pm Thu-MonApr-Jun, &Oct, Sep Hall the ‘Jewel of theEnglishRenaissance’, Once oneof thefinestElizabethanmansions, Hall Kirby Northampton alongtheA43. Sunday). Kettering is15milesnortheast of twohoursMonday toSaturday,every on 2 milesaway(20minutes, 30minutes every Bus 19fromKettering stopsinDesborough, was builtattheendof the16thcentury. is Tresham’s enduringsymbolof thetrinity. It fieldsand amongrapeseed a magicalsetting from sidestofloors togables,thelodge isin ing hisbeliefs).Withthree of everything, was imprisonedmore thanonceforexpress- signed anumberof buildingsinthearea (and Thomas Tresham’s faith.He Catholic de- esoteric inscriptions shows thepowerof Sir child £2.40/1.20; This mysterious Rushton TriangularLodge Althorp, leaving fromGreyfriars busstation. (except Sunday)linkingNorthamptonwith of Northampton.There are five daily buses be pronounced‘altrup’. on thewebsite. Althorpshould Incidentally, number of tickets mustbebooked byphoneor Princess DianaMemorial Fund.Thelimited Van Dyck.Profits fromticket gotothe sales 430 The lodge is4milesnorthwestof Kettering. Althorp isoff theA4285.5milesnorthwest Kirby Hall is4milesnortheastof Corby; (EH; ECSESIE&RTAD • ecse LEICESTERSHIRE &RUTLAND••Leicester % 01536-203230; adult/child£4.50/2.30; h –withfinefiligree stonework, lodge 10am-5pm Thu-MonApr-Oct) was begun in 1570, and wasbegunin1570,and

(EH; % 01536-710761; a h with Kirby 10am- dult/ routes andnumbers. % LEICESTER Traveline Midlands Arriva Getting There&Around tact Rutland Water. fourcounties,revolvestween aroundcentral To theeastof Rutland,wedged Leicester, be- Castle. the more rural east,includingBelvoir towns andNationalForest of thewestfrom just tothewest,dividinglargely industrial with theM1motorwayrunningnorth–south is virtuallybanginthecentre of itscounty, an upside-downmapof Australia. Leicester Leicestershire andRutlandtogether looklike Orientation &Information with lovers of water sportsandquaintvillages. land Water andcharming it’sahit settlements, pendence’ asacounty.WithmagnificentRut- in 1974,butApril1997regained its‘inde- brant multiculturalcity. meanwhile,isavi- Leicester, Castle. Belvoir historic sites –nottomentionmagnificent diately westof the centre. many of thehistoricattractions, liesimme- northeast of thecentre. Park, Castle with grave Rd (the‘GoldenMile’)isabout amile tractions flankitorare withinit. contained almostawholecircuitandmostat- A594 does therethough isn’taringroad as such, the of one-waystreets andforbiddenturns.Al- For drivers, isplaguedbyamaze Leicester Orientation isworthavisitinitsownright. Centre Diwali andEid-ul-Fitr. TheNationalSpace staged aroundreligious festivals such asHoli, Asian communitywithmanyinteresting events a buzzingnightlife. Ithasalarge andvibrant pot. Itslarge studentpopulationalsoensures asvibrant,sociallyprogressiveitself melting industrial decline,thecityhasnowre-invented thenknockedby theLuftwaffe, sidewaysby you’re ready togive itachance. Pummelled painting, butit’sstillgotalotgoingforitif Like manyMidlandscities, isnooil Leicester Leicestershire bus services. Leicestershire busservices. Tiny Rutland was merged withLeicestershire For general countywideinformation,con- The centre of theAsian community,Bel- 0116 /pop279,923 Leicestershire Tourism Leicestershire ( % 0870 6082608)Latesttimetables,bus (www.arrivabus.co.uk) Operates

( % 0906 2941113). lonelyplanet.com friendly series offriendly series displaysonspace,materials adult/child £11/9; der amongexcavated remains of theRoman nothing todowithJudaism.Youcanwan- land’s largest Romancivilstructures andhas Mon-Wed & Fri, 10am-5.30pmThu,10am-5pmSat) Mon-Wed &Fri, www.goleicestershire.com; 7-9EverySt; Ice Mango Information Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com the domed SpaceTheatre (included inthe ofstatus all current spacemissions. Films in in theSpaceNow! area you cancheck onthe oftronomy andthedevelopment spacetravel; displays cover cosmicmyths, thehistoryof as- Interactivescience tousordinarymortals. andsuccessfulattempt tobringspace tacular Leicester schoolholidays,lastentry3.30pm) This NATIONAL SPACE CENTRE holiday pioneer. citizens includingThomasCook,thepackage- shops, andexhibitionsonwell-knownlocal residents, andincludesreconstructed period lives’, itcharts thelife of Leicester everyday the theme‘ordinarypeople,extraordinary around 16th-century buildings.Revolving h Martin Johnson. to alife-size portraitof localrugbylegend from aSiberianmammoth-ivorypaperknife surprisingly variedexhibitstoo,which range and art.Adultsshould get somethingfromthe Walk; reconstructions andpaintings. tells thehistoryof thecitywitharchaeological exhibition ‘TheMaking of which Leicester’, andfrescoes, aswellaninteractivemosaics & someschoolholidays) Nicholas Circle; appearance, the millennia. Notwithstanding itsgrimexternal public baths, which date backalmosttwo .ac.uk) All Leicester’s JEWRY WALL&MUSEUMS Sights office Tourist Market Pl;perhr£2.20; Market computers forinternetaccess. juicebarwith 9am-7pm Sat,noon-5.30pmSun)Relaxed Despite itsname, HousesMuseum Newarke Gallery &Art New WalkMuseum 11am-4pm Mon-Fri, to4.30pmSun) 11am-4pm Mon-Fri, h are free. centre 11am-4pm Mon-Fri, to4.30pmSun) 11am-4pm Mon-Fri, ( %

h ( % ( % 262 6255;www.icemango.co.uk; 4 h 11am-4.30pm Sat,1-4.30pmSunFeb-Nov, 0870 6077223;www.spacecentre.co.uk; 0906 2941113,callspermin25p; Jewry WallMuseum Jewry museums 10am-5pm Tue-Sun, plus Mon during 10am-5pm Tue-Sun, plusMonduring contains wonderfulRoman contains h Jewry Wall Jewry 9.30am-6.30pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-6.30pm Mon-Fri, ( % (www.leicestermuseums

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) THE MIDLANDS MIDLANDS THE THE MIDLANDS its excellent,globallyinspired vegetarian and sized café-bar hascreated quite abuzzwith atmosphere (c1240) of ‘the Sal’,asregulars A dualcarriageway thecenturies-old disguises drinkerstingham forhundreds of years. district andhaswarmed thecocklesof Not- coaching innliesattheheartof theshopping thisatmosphericold for thehistorybuffs, for aknees-up. pocket place of isamost pleasant Nottingham tional refurbished inawell-heeled alehouse phisticated yeteasy-going, thiscosy,tradi- thebrews.sample commodate themanytouristswhocometo there are usuallymore toac- than enough there are nomore, you’llfindanother–and inventedbeen forhere. Justwhenyouthink ‘nooksandcrannies’couldhaveThe phrase edly slaked thethirst of departingcrusaders. claims tobeEngland’soldestpub;itsuppos- atmosphericalehouse castle, thisfantastically Yard, CastleRd) Ye toJerusalem OldeTrip Drinking thesurroundings. brighten and liliesdeckthetables ranean. Beautiful diverse sourcesasThailandandtheMediter- restaurant culinaryinfluencesfromsuch fuses whilethethrivingupstairsand sandwiches, inwholesomesnacks,salads eatery specialises h ing mostof itsdishes. times withahintof theMediterranean infus- the oldestintown,butithasmoved withthe centralrestaurant,distinguish thisestablished &Sat) 10.30pm Fri 13; with asushi-bar conveyor belt. regarded white-tiled Japanese café-restaurant sparse, buttaste isplentyinthisbasic,highly noon-11pmSat,noon-3pm&6-10pmSun) Tue-Fri, platters from£8,lunchmenu£6.90; itout. alley. Seek and tunes.Itishiddendownanancientback vegan dishes,nottomentionitsfunkyDJs h Alley Café Eating 438 Punchinello Sumo Skinny Ye Olde SalutationInn Bell Inn Cock &Hoop Fresh h 11am-6pm Mon&Tue, to11pmWed-Sat) 8am-late Mon-Fri, 9am-lateSat) 8am-late Mon-Fri, OTNHMHR • Ntiga ••Nottingham NOTTINGHAMSHIRE noon-3pm Mon-Sat,plus7.30-10pmMon-Thu, 7.30- ( %

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NOTTINGHAMSHIRE ••AroundNottingham NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 01773-712265; www.trentbuses.co.uk) % ( 08457 484950;www.centraltrains % Nottingham Travelwise Service Nottingham Travelwise runstothecentre from 947 2713; 97 Carrington St; bike hire St; bike 947 2713;97Carrington ( . Youcanalsopickup 08457 484950;www.midland %

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every August. every re-enactmentmedieval that takes placehere hide init.The it’s more likely he’dhave toholdit up,not days ahiding placeforMrHood;these been is theMajor tohave which issupposed Oak, ants andfriars. Oneof themajor attractions scribing thelifestyles of bandits,kings, peas- Sherwode’, acute butcornyexhibitionde- to4.30pmNov-Mar) Apr-Oct, £3; forest.org.uk; admission free, parking Centre Visitor Forest still peacefulspotstobefound.The today’s Sherwood Forest, there although are there are almostmore tourists thantrees in like yourself Don’t expecttolose anoutlaw: Sherwood ForestCountryPark the city.Take 1. Trent service Barton of the20thcentury. the life of themining communityattheturn booksbyre-creatingground toLawrence’s to4pmNov-Mar) Apr-Oct, £3.50; Rd;admission£2,jointticket Mansfield Centre Durban HouseHeritage with periodfurnishings. Downtheroad, would have childhood, inLawrence’s been reconstructed(1885–1930), hasbeen asit home of controversial Nottingham’s author & Sun£2; free, Sat St,Eastwood;admissionMon-Fri 717353; 8aVictoria The DH LawrenceSites andgardens. the house gates, where youwillhave towalkamile 30minutes,every hourlySunday)totheabbey (25minutes,Bus 737runsfromNottingham therebus runsright onSundayinsummer. tion, weekends only.TheSherwood Forester minutes pastthehourfromVictoriabussta- theA60.TheStagecoachoff bus233runsat23 are re-created inconvincingperiodstyles. oldlivingquarters.poet’s Many of therooms to manuscripts,andyoucanhave atthe apeek interesting Byronmemorabilia, frompistols remains of themanor. some Itnow houses imposing façadeof thepriorychurch are the thestill- of themonasteries in1539.Beside converted intoahomeafter thedissolution as anAugustinianprioryaround1170,itwas for touristsandlocalfamiliesalike. Founded year-round) The house is12milesnorthof The house Nottingham, Eastwood isabout 10milesnorthwest ofEastwood DH Lawrence Birthplace Museum Birthplace DH Lawrence h isapopularweekend destination 10am-5pm Apr-Oct, to4pmNov-Mar) 10am-5pm Apr-Oct, Robin HoodFestival (

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817250; 812649; members/ .co.uk; day ticket £4)OperatestheTransPeak.co.uk; dayticket busservice. Manchester andSheffield). Manchester buses andtrainsthroughoutthecountybeyond(egto .derbysbus.net; daypassadult/family£7.90/12.50)Covers Derbyshire Wayfarer Wayfarer Derbyshire Getting There&Around ( in thatsection p446 ). and are covered undertheActivitiesheading place insidethePeak DistrictNationalPark, paragliding, tonamebutafew. Many take walking, cycling,rockclimbing,caving and Outdoor activitiesinDerbyshire include Activities in thecounty’scentre. of Ashbourne. Matlock isalmostplumb Bath accessiblefromtheprettystantly market town with somefinescenery,perhaps mostin- of thePeak District,butsouthisalsoblessed someofnorth contains theprettiest stretches stretches wide. The thanitdoes much taller the southof thisvery pretty county,which Derbyshire’s maincity,Derby,liestowards Orientation ties inEngland,andjustifiably so. gettable Chatsworth. Abbey Calke including dishevelled andunfor- cathedral, andsomewonderfulstatelyhomes Matlock thetwisted spire Bath, of Chesterfield tions. There’s resort themisplacedseaside of 64m-high towerand impressive64m-high wrought-iron adult/child £5/2.50; Derby’s grand18th-century Sights 5pm Sat,10.30am-2.30pmSun) Pl; .visitderby.co.uk; Market Thehelpful Britain. that residents claimtobe thereal-ale of capital bone-china apint inacity industryandsample into thehistoryof the English engineering, tryside. Andwhileyou’re here youcandelve stepping stonetosomelovely Derbyshire coun- engines. Nottheprettiest town,itisauseful silk, china, railwaysandRolls-Royceaircraft its namechurning outsuch variedgoodsas facturing centre outof Derby, which made madeamajorThe IndustrialRevolution manu- % DERBY Buses Barton Trent Derbyshire isoneof themostvisited coun- 01332 /pop229,407 h ( % 9.30am-4.30pm Mon-Sat) ( % h tourist office tourist 01773-712265; www.trentbuses isinthemainsquare. 0870 6082608;www 9.30am-5.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am- 9.30am-5.30pm Mon-Fri, cathedral lonelyplanet.com ( % 255802; www boastsa (Queen St;

the narrowpedestrian street branching out its welcomingandconvivialenvironsduring Businessdelegatestrain station. hobnobin dame of opposite Derbyhotels the liesright bone china in Britain. In the demonstration bone china Inthedemonstration inBritain. of Derbyshire’s mostformidableresidents ofmiss thehuge tombof Hardwick, Bess one Mondayofon thesecond themonth.Don’t interior.nificent light Tours runat10.30am screens. windowsenhancethemag- Large Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com munch very bagels. tasty ‘boxlike’ toscrap for spaceto and you’llneed ‘b’words).It’salso and bustling(touse bright from centralMarket Pl,thisplace isbusy, 9am-5.30pm Sat,11.30am-4.30pmSun) 5pm Mon-Fri, Derby’s bestpubsare nearthetrainstation. Eating &Drinking popular forSundaylunch. The hotel restaurant isgoodand particularly noise. for aninterior roomawayfromtraffic Pricestumbleattheweekends. Askthe week. Rd;s/d£99/117; .uk; Midland central shoppingarea. conscious traveller. Itliesjustsouthof the tion inacityshort on choices forthecash- in thiscolourfulB&Bmake thisthebestop- sunnyroomsalongwithcheery hosts Bright derby.co.uk; 45CromptonSt;s/dinclbreakfast £28.50/55) Crompton CoachHouse Sleeping There’s alsoashop (watch yourelbows). ahead-licecomb. pin, spoonhandleandeven cate china flowers, usinglittlemore thanahat- workersstudio, you’llsee skilfullymakingdeli- 4 toursdailyMon-Fri) studio only£2.95/2.75; .royalcrownderby.co.uk; OsmastonRd;tours£4.95,demonstration Rolls-Royce aero-engine. out of of displaysonthedevelopment the shouldget abuzz a fieldday,whileplanebuffs manufacturing history;trainspotters willhave Tue-Sat, 1-4pmSun&BankHolidays) Lane;admissionfree; Mill ofIndustry&History DerbyMuseum firstsilk mill(Britain’s ‘modern’factory),the around thetower. watch outforperegrines, regularly spotted Hardwick Hall ( p444 ). Bird-lovers should in daysgoneby.Formore abouther,see Café B Café Hotel Midland The factoryof Next totheRiver Derwentinaformer ( % 368822; Sadler Gate; bagels£2.50; 368822; SadlerGate; turns out some of the finest turnsoutsomeof thefinest ( h Royal CrownDerby % 9am-5pm Mon-Sat, 10am-4pm Sun, 9am-5pm Mon-Sat,10am-4pmSun, 345894; www.midland-derby.co h ( % pi 11am-5pm Mon,10am-5pm 365735; www.coachhouse tells thecity’s ) Thegrandold ( ( %

% DERBYSHIRE ••AroundDerby 712841; www 255308; Silk h 8.30am- On

1900. His collectionof artefacts oriental ison later LordCurzonwas viceroyof India around van), wasmodelled onKedleston Hall, asa Bha-Government (nowRaj inCalcutta House Pantheon inRome. Anothergreat building, withadomedroof,saloon modelledonthe richly decorated bedroomsandacircular include bending oakboughs. Otherhighlights miss thearcof floorboards,speciallycutfrom side offer splendidviewsof thepark–don’t corridors oneither Greek deities.Curved its massive alabaster of columnsandstatues you reach thebreathtaking Marble Hall with the view!Ah,goodolddays… a miledowntheroad,astheyinterfered with ton village hadtheirhumbledwellingsmoved Meanwhile, inKedles- thepooroldpeasants so thisstunningmasterpiece couldbebuilt. Curzon tore in1758 downanearlierhouse here sincethe12thcentury;SirNathaniel of homes.TheCurzonfamilyhaslived stately h ton Hall the superbneoclassicalmansionof Sitting proudlyinvastlandscapedparkland, Kedleston Hall AROUND DERBY minutes). (45 fromBirmingham also adirect service ThereChesterfield, is andLeeds. Sheffield to Derby(twohours, hourly),continuingto tourist office. FromLondon,there are trains Y1onDerwentStjustnorthofstand the currently leave from hour). Outgoingservices 30minutes, DerbytoBakewelltingham one Matlock, Bakewell andBuxton(DerbytoNot- andManchester Nottingham tween viaDerby, TransPeak twohours runevery be- buses with temporary inplacenearby. stands iscurrentlyDerby’s mainbusstation closed, Getting There&Away for real-ale-lovers. (some madeon-site), which are awetdream but thereal reason tocomehere isthebeers maroon leatherupholstery andwoodpanels, award-winning innhasawarmambience,all weekends. a fresh, contemporary look.Bookaheadat Haus hasexcellentEuropeancuisineand 10pm Tue-Sat) Entering the house through agrandportico through Entering thehouse Brunswick Inn noon-4pm Sat-WedEaster-Oct) Haus (

% (NT; 832926; JacobeanHouse;mains£9-15; The restaurant of themoment, % 01332-842191; adult/child£6.90/3.30;

( % 290677; 1 Railway Tce) 290677; 1Railway isamustforfans Kedles- This h 441

6- THE MIDLANDS MIDLANDS THE THE MIDLANDS bourne is nestledinabowl formedbythe The picturesque little market townof Ash- % Ashbourne thepark. walk through 69 inMelbourne) andfromthere it’sa2-mile Ticknall (40minutes, hourly,change tothe bus 68fromDerbytoSwadlincote stopsat enter viathevillage of Ticknall. TheArriva south of Derby.Visitors comingbycarmust and groundsatanytime. is10miles Calke there’ll bespace. You canenter thegardens tophoneaheadandcheckends it’swise timed ticket atbusytimes.Onsummer week- only yesterday. about 1930,butitlookslike thegardener left the pottingsheds nothinghaschanged since gardens isasimilartime-warpexperience–in ofthe state thebuildings.)Astroll roundthe bit more like, thrillingthanonemight given viaalong,darktunnel– (You exitthehouse crumbling plaster andmouldywallpaper. are deliberately untouched, complete with rooms are in fabulouscondition,whileothers a-brac fromthelastthree centuries.Some birdsandendlesspiles ofbooks, stuffed bric- old furniture, mounted animalheads,dusty ground tunnelsandroomscrammedwith ramshackle mazeof secret corridors, under- indecline. Theresulta countryhouse isa about 1880–it’samesmerisingexampleof clusive baronets.Very littlehaschanged since downadynastyofpassed eccentricandre- stately home. Builtaround1703,it’sbeen is notyourusualglitzy,wealth-encrusted adult/child £6.80/3.40; of wonders, Like anenormous,long-neglected cabinet Calke Abbey the house. upto Holidaysthebusloopsright and Bank B1.OnSunday from AlbertStinDerby,stand Monday toSaturday,five onSunday).Itleaves of Kedleston Hall daily (20minutes, seven and Ashbourne withinabout1.5miles goes Derby 109between Derby. Bybus,service gardens. lovingly restored 18th-century-stylepleasure gold andsilver thread 5kg. andweighing show, asishiswife’s ‘peacock’dress –madeof 442 Kedleston Hall is5milesnorthwestof Admission to Calke AbbeyAdmission toCalke isby house If thesunisout,take awalkaroundthe 01335 /pop7600 EBSIE • alc ah DERBYSHIRE Bath ••Matlock Calke Abbey Calke h 12.30-4.30pm Sat-WedApr-Oct)

(NT; % 01332-863822;

now awonderfuleasy-gradient pathcutting the clists, Ashbourne isthesouthernterminus of leaflets oradviceonB&Bsinthearea. and italsohasagreat littleB&B. restaurant isknownwellbeyondAshbourne road fromthemainmarket square. Itsfine pubs andteashops alongtheway. ages, andfree leafletsshowingtheroute with with ahuge stockof bikes andtrailers forall with decentbrews andgoodgrub. halls.co.uk; Rd;s/d£27.50/55) 6Buxton cycle hire perday£13) Mapleton Lane, see p446 ). About amileoutsidetownalong for more oncircularroute possibilities details Trail runningsouthtowardsMatlock Bath; PeakBuxton andconnectswiththeHigh The Tissington Trailtakes younorthtowards finewestDerbyshirethrough countryside. 10am-4pmMon-SatNov-Feb)5pm Apr-Oct, and antiqueshops. to simplyhangoutintheflurryof cafés,pubs weekends, eithertorecharge after ahike or sloping mainstreet, where visitors flockat races lineMarket Plandtheprecariously 15 milesnorthwestof Derby.Finestoneter- tip of thePeak DistrictNationalPark, about Derbyshire Dales.Itliesatthevery southern byshire. Day-trippers wander downthebrash resort thatgot lost inlandlocked rural Der- British way, Matlock islike Bath aseaside andquirkyinauniquelyCharming, tacky % MATLOCK BATH daily MondaytoSaturday). leaves B1(four fromDerby’sAlbert St,stand days). TheOne,operated byTrent Barton, Holi- 108 (fourperdayonSundayandBank dailyMondaytoSaturday) and (five services under anhour. Direct includethe109 buses and thetriptakes from40minutes tojust leave fromtheforecourt of Derbytrainstation way toget toAshbourne. Numerousservices St John’sSt) for. Down-to-earth some of thegingerbread Ashbourne isfamous the bestbakery andtearoom intown.Itserves Shop Of particularinterest towalkers andcy- Without yourowntransport,busistheonly The half-timbered Ivy-covered The 01629 /pop2202 Tissington Trail

( % tourist office tourist isacosy,cluttered andpopularpub 346753; StJohn’sSt) Bramhall’s Ashbourne CycleHire Ashbourne isontheTissington Trail, , aformerrailwaylineand (

% Smith’s Tavern 343666; Market Pl; 343666; Market Ashbourne Gingerbread Gingerbread Ashbourne takes thebiscuitas

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% h 342264; 36 343156; 9.30am- .derbyshire.gov.uk; thePavilion; It isanexcellent,wholesomefamily dayout, to bethePeak District’s‘oldestattraction’. 5pm daily Mar-Oct, Sat&SunFeb-Mar) 5pm dailyMar-Oct, of thePeak DistrictNationalPark. Bisected ist beautyspotliesonthesoutheastern edge left over fromVictoriantimes.Thetinytour- souvenir shops–somewithstockthatseems an aquarium,Victoriancafés,pubsandthe arcades, promenade, poppingintoamusement Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com up toviewpoints ontopof the valleyfloor. cable-carrideupfrom includes aspectacular ground andwoodland nature trails.Theprice with underground caverns, anadventure play- Abraham Mine £2 extra(child £1),youcangodown part of wasonceadancehall.For themuseum miners onceeked outariskyliving.Bizarrely, shafts andtunnelswhere Derbyshire lead 11am-3pm Nov-Apr) 834; thePavilion; adult/child£3/2; to great viewpoints. clifftop the othersideandtake oneof thesteep paths can meanderacrosstheriver totheparkon chips orcandyfloss. Forascenic detour,you strolling alongthepromenade,munching on One of of thedelights Matlock issimply Bath Sights &Activities with reams of leafletsandguidebooks. Sat&SunNov-Feb)Oct, gorge ontheotherside. the murmuringRiver Derwentandaplush of town(theA6),with themainroadthrough tions, pubsandplacestoeatalongoneside shops,attrac- South Pde,alineof seaside-style Every thing revolves aroundNorthPdeand Matlock is2milessouthof Bath Matlock. Orientation &Information handy gateway tothescenicdales. which haslittleinthewayof butisa sights from abone-china mug. ofsight aleather-clad burlybiker sippingtea you’re lucky,youmaycatch thememorable as hundreds of motorcyclistsflockhere. If becomes aroar(of engines)attheweekend, by thesmooth,twistyA6,town’sbuzz From the cable-car base, walking trailslead From the cable-carbase, At theenthusiast-run townofIt sitsnexttothepleasant Matlock, Matlock Bath’s For adifferent view,gotothe andpanfor‘gold’.

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10am- 583 and antiquechairs, itissoaked inVictorian by thedoortobizarrely shaped rooms hotel. From thewooden-handledumbrellas tury whenyouenter thisbrilliantlyquirky ies scream! chicken, piesandburgers arter- – hearthose chocolate cake, fish andchips, fried serving to-end withcafés, teashops and takeaways, North PdeandSouth Pdeare linedend- Eating &Drinking charm. mealsare Bar available. fromthe1970sbut that’spartofstraight the décor). Theroomsarehistory withthesame for 400years (andagoodchunk of itsrecent on therestaurant ahotel window.It’sbeen Lord Byrononcefelt inspired toetch apoem hillside hotel are –solovely fantastic thatpoet Temple Walk;s/d£55/92; beams andbrassbed-knobs. atmosphere andcharm. Roomscomewith p 150SouthPde;s/dfrom£38/70; .hodgkinsons-hotel.co.uk; inOctober2007. to close Itisdue withlikeable,lock Bath, friendlystaff. A basic,bighousingblock2milesfromMat- .org.uk; 40BankRd;dmmembers/nonmembers£13.95/16.95) also more choices innearbyMatlock. a few placesjustoutof thecentre. There are of thingsonNorthPdeandSouthPde, Matlock B&Bsintheheart hasseveral Bath Sleeping fireworks. decorated Venetian boatsontheriver and with streams of pretty outrageously lights, admission£3; went Gardens; tober don’tmiss the high-street textile andclothingnames. ‘shopping village’, includingthree floors of to life. It’snowcunninglycombinedwitha bringing more than200years of textile history and theworld’slargest collectionof bobbins with renovated loomsandweaving machines, Sir Richard It’sstillworkingtoday, Arkwright. Sun) £2.50/1.50; Textile Museum Working Mills Castle downtoMatlock andoversee Bath to Temple Hotel &Restaurant Hotel Hodgkinson’s YHAHostel Matlock A milesouthof Matlock is Bath From thebeginningof toOc- September ) , built in 1783 for pioneering industrialist , builtin1783forpioneering You seem tostumbleintothe19thcen- Youseem , aVictorianfolly. h 10am-4pm Mon-Fri, 11am-5pmSat,11am-4pm 10am-4pm Mon-Fri,

( % pn 583911; www.templehotel.co.uk;

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THE MIDLANDS MIDLANDS THE THE MIDLANDS probably wasduetogreen timberwarping,al- southwest. There are varioustheorieswhy:it screw spire andleansalmost3m is68mhigh £7.80/3.90; see, If you’re upwhich homesto weighing stately Hardwick AROUND CHESTERFIELD of thecentre. isjusteast abouthourly.Thestation services (20 minutes) (10minutes), andSheffield with Chesterfield Nottingham/Derby isbetween trip tothePeak District. black building.It’svery forplanninga useful opposite thecrookedright spire inasleek 9am-5pmMon-SatNov-Mar) 5.30pm Mon-SatApr-Oct, Tourtimesvary; calltoarrange.itself. for in thechurch thesight thatittwisted to see was soamazedtohearof avirgin beingmarried somestillpreferthough thatthespire tobelieve h ( crooked spire of tion of onefamouslandmark:theeye-catching This isanunremarkable townwiththeexcep- % CHESTERFIELD formation, gotowww.derbysbus.net. (30 minutes).travel Fordetailed planningin- Derby trainsadayserve Several train station. and Chesterfield (35minutes). There isalsoa toandfromDerby(1¼hours)hourly buses timesaday.Therehour 10minutes) several are (one 213 and214gotofromSheffield public transport,andMatlock isahub.Buses The Peak by Districtisextremely wellserved Getting There&Away less finesse! with slightly You mayfindyourself minglingwithbikers creamcurtains, cakes anddelicate crockery. strollelegantlyintothisplace, houses, h some great (andnot-so-great) live music. jumping forapubinruralDerbyshire. Ithas a lively, spirited crowdandissurprisingly pub foodandafinerestaurant. hillside, thebaratthishotel hasreasonable 444 % Victorian Tea Shop Victorian Fishpond Temple Hotel The easiestwaytoget here isbytrain. The 9am-5pm) 10am-5.30pm Mon-Fri) 10am-5.30pm Mon-Fri) 01246 /pop100,879 206506; admissionfree, toursadult/child£3.50/1.50; Hardwick Hall EKDSRC DISTRICT PEAK tourist office tourist h

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A629 THE MIDLANDS MIDLANDS THE THE MIDLANDS and outdoor-activity near shop inBamford, Derwent Reservoirs is alsogood.Inthe White Derwent Reservoirs bikers,ing point formountain and nearthe bikers.and leafletsforcyclists andmountain ride isatouristoffice; allstockmaps,books routes. any Agoodplacetostart good off-road there although quite are busywithtraffic, some Dark Peak there are fewer roads,andtheyare bikers.lanes, andtracksformountain Inthe and Ashbourne, which have anetworkof quiet of Derbyshire south of here aroundMatlock area, especiallytheWhite Peak andtheparts The Peak Districtisavery popularcycling CYCLING about caving inthearea. The website alsohasmoreCastleton. info Bamford, HopeValley, Derbyshire) ( mine of localinformation, contact makesdoing, Castleton agreat base. outdoor centres, andifyouknowwhatyou’re tourist offices canprovide alistof accredited cavingtions). Forserious (orpotholing)trips, Matlock (describedineach Bath of sec- those Buxtonand open tothepublicinCastleton, caves andcaverns, including‘showcaves’ The Peak Districtlimestoneisriddledwith CAVING Activities guidedwalksandsoon. ties, localevents, at www.peakdistrict.org cover transport,activi- District activities. Forgeneral information,thefree walks,cycleridesandother leaflets detailing all overflowing withmaps,guidebooksand Edaleandother locations, Bakewell, Castleton, tional parkare calledvisitorcentres) inBuxton, dales. divided bydeep green fieldsmarked bydry-stonewalls,and more pastoralWhite Peak tothesouth,with called‘edges’; andthelower,prettier,cliffs bypeatymoorsterised anddramaticgritstone wilderDarkPeakhigher, tothenorth,charac- divided intotwodistinctzones:theharsher, England. This555-sq-mileprotected area is and isoneof thelargest nationalparksin ing Yorkshire, andCheshire) Staffordshire but spillsintofive adjoiningcounties(includ- The Peak Districtisprincipally inDerbyshire Orientation &Information 446 % There are runbythena- (those touristoffices For guidebooks,gear (tobuyorhire) anda In theDarkPeak, Edaleisapopular start- 01433-651013; www.hitchnhike.co.uk; Mytham Bridge, MythamBridge, 01433-651013; www.hitchnhike.co.uk; EKDSRC • Oinain&Ifrain &Information ••Orientation DISTRICT PEAK newspaper and the official park website parkwebsite newspaperandtheofficial , aspecialistcaving Hitch nHike Hitch Peak Peak

and ington and High Peakington andHigh Trails.Touristoffices and kids’bikes andtrailers are alsoavailable. day foradults’bikes (depositandIDrequired), times etc.Charges hover around£10to£15per have aleafletwithallotherhire centres, opening ( Peak District,including cyclists andwalkers. riders, forhorse cent addition,andissuitable Bradbourne andBrassington. or (abetter choice) thequietlanesthrough it atriangularcircuit,followingthebusyB5053 can gooutandbackasfaryoulike, ormake heads southfor13milestoAshbourne. You walking-and-cycling-route, the Parsley Hay anotherformer-railway-turned- on forafew more milestowardsBuxton.At to avillage calledParsley Hay, andcontinues beautifulhillsandfarmland winds through is MiddletonTop,amileorsonorth.Thetrail easygradientsabetter start cline, soifyouseek Matlock withavery butitstarts steep in- Bath, way. YoucanjointhetrailatCromford,near walkers onthemostlyflattrackof anoldrail- 17.5-mile make forcycle tours. goodbases Peak, allthevillages mentionedinthissection the Derbyshire countryside fromCastleton little towninYorkshire. day optionistoHebden Bridge, adelightful less.An excellent three-day ortwo,even north acrosswildhillsandmoors for justa fromEdaleyoucan followthetrail weeks, in Scotland.Ifyoudon’thave aspare three its northernendmore than250milesaway Pennine Way off. the sunisshining whenyouset and beprepared if for windandrain–even ting’, make sure yourbootsare waterproof which often involves thelocalartof ‘bogtrot- explore realms thehigher of the DarkPeak, on yourenergy andinterests. Ifyouwantto a walkof afew milesorlonger, depending in theWhite Peak –andyoucaneasilyfind network of footpaths andtracks–especially walking areas byavast inEngland,crossed The Peak Districtisoneof themostpopular WALKING % The Peak’s mostfamouswalkingtrailisthe For easytraffic-free riding,headforthe There are cycle-hire several centres inthe The The 46-mile Middleton Top Middleton 01433-651261) Pennine Bridleway Pennine Bridleway High Peak Trail High , withitssouthernendatEdaleand , and Limestone Way

( % Parsley Hay 01629-823204) , aroute forcyclistsand is another,more re- Derwent Cycle Hire Derwent CycleHire lonelyplanet.com winds through windsthrough

( % Tissington Trail fortheTiss- 01298-84493)

, offices haveoffices leaflet. adetailed the way,andamplepubscafés.Tourist withYHABonsall, hostels andB&Bs along via Miller’sDale,Monyash,Youlgreave and day, buttwodaysisbetter. Theroute goes and hardyfolkcandoitover alongsummer andMatlock, Castleton between is26miles, ofsection thisroute, theWhite through Peak paths, tracksandquietlanes.Thenorthern to Rocester onamixof inStaffordshire foot- Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com cal area, withthe Crescent, and OperaHouse Buxton effectively hastwocentres: thehistori- Orientation &Information western areas. picturesque toget tothenorthernand base District NationalPark, Buxtonisanexcellent, crawling. made forhours of browsingidlyandcafé- upMarket light stalls is Pl.Thetownitself inthe1970s. had fallenintodisuse the resurrection of which theOpera House, put thesparklebackintotown,especially scurity, ambitiousrestoration projects have fashionable. Afterhighly years of relative ob- thewaters’18th centurywhen‘taking was springs, thetown’sheydaywasnotuntil Romans discovered thenaturalwarm-water little lessfarupitsownbackside. Whilethe andlodgedIt’s smallerinscale,however, a waters, Buxton invites comparisonstoBath. crescent, leafyparks,touristsandthermal With itsgrandGeorgian architecture, central % BUXTON more see details, p440 . table fices stocktheexcellent to weanvisitors off theircars, andtouristof- The Peak Districtauthoritiesare tryinghard Getting There&Around the centrally through Usually ownedbyfarmers, theycanbebooked from £5perperson) dotted aroundthePeak. options are thevariouscampingbarns(beds budget.for every Perhaps thebestbudget haveTourist offices listsof accommodation Sleeping out thissection. Situated justoutsidetheborderof thePeak Every TuesdayandSaturday,colourful Various shorter walksar 01298 /pop24,112 (80p)covering andtrains.For localbuses YHA Derbyshire BusTime-

( e described % 0870 8708808) PEAK DISTRICT ••Buxton DISTRICT PEAK through- . to 3pmSat) Sun Apr-Sep) Hasusefulleafletsonwalksinthearea.Sun Apr-Sep) 10am-4pmSat& 9.30am-5pmMon-Fri, Oct-Mar, Mon-Fri .gov.uk; theCrescent; Internet access. 11am-9pmSat,11am-7pmSun;perhr£3) 9pm Mon-Fri, ‘poached stalagmites. egg’–formation ing oneof England’s longest –and distinctive (theonesthat hangdown)–includ- stalactites animpressivederground tosee formation of un- from centralBuxton. Guidestake youdeep nificent naturallimestonecavern, about amile adult/child £6.20/3.50; ‘curative’ power. bottles andslake theirthirst withtheliquid’s procession of touristsqueuetofillplastic art exhibitions.Justoutsideis for nearlyacentury,nowhoststemporary Room coloured-glass ceiling. craft and bookshops, and astriking several the infirmintorestorative waters), with thechair forlowering used (you canstillsee Arcade Cavendish hotel complexisimminent.Justeastof here is waiting itsturnforregeneration. Aluxury reminiscent of theRoyalCrescent –is inBath terrace of the the gracefulcurved perfect placeforagentle stroll. evening grand, pedestrian cured 1871, which overlooks theimpeccablymani- impressive palaceof glassandcastironbuiltin mornings. areas are available at11ammostSaturday Tours (£2)of theauditoriumandbackstage renowned festivals (see andevents p448 ). some concerts andcomedyaswellstaging enjoys afullprogrammeof drama,dance, ( Buxton’s gorgeously restored Sights &Activities office Tourist Post office Cyber@Emporium ATMs ontheQuadrant. and restaurants. There are bankswith several Pavilion; andMarket Pl,surroundedbypubs mal waters stillflow–andwhere aregular fromwhichfountain Buxton’sfamousther- % Poes Cavern Poole’s the Across fromthetouristoffice, Another impressive Buxtonconstruction, isthe Next totheOperaHouse 0845 1272190;www.buxton-opera.co.uk; WaterSt) , which dispensed Buxton’sspringwater, which dispensed Pavilion Gardens (Spring Gardens; Gardens; (Spring ( % , formerly a thermal bathhouse , formerlyathermalbathhouse

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THE MIDLANDS MIDLANDS THE THE MIDLANDS neighbouring village of Hope. Ithasamud- located around4milesfromEdalenearthe p St isthemain street; most of thepubs, shops, landslip in 1977thatdestroyed theroad).Cross Mam Tor,butthePeak’s brittleshale ledtoa tocutacross toward Edale(theA625 route used gorgethe narrow,spectacular of WinnatsPass Valley. up Themainroadfromthevillage goes atthewestern endof stands Castleton theHope Orientation &Information for centuries. mined cious stonecalledBlueJohn hasbeen at thefamous‘showcaves’, where asemipre- quieter timetoenjoygoodwalks,andmarvel Comeheredon’t letthatputyouoff. ata million touristsonsummerweekends. But of cosycountrypubs.Ohyes–andabouta and colourfulgardens,agoodcollection of narrowlaneswithsturdygritstonehouses ofneat littlesettlement hasacouple Castleton and crownedbytheruinsof Peveril the Castle, Nestled intheshadowof Mam 517m-high Tor % CASTLETON the finalbusgoingontoBuxton. daily),with (25minutes, seven to Castleton Holidays,bus260connectsEdale and onBank otherPeakat several villages. Attheweekends to Friday,five atweekends). Trainsalsostop and Manchester perdayMonday (abouteight Sheffield Edale isonthetrainlinebetween Getting There&Away for aposthike pint. scraper onhandfordirtybootsandisperfect Cheese Cheshire beneaththebeamedceilingsof the is served (£4.95 to£6.95).Butthebestfoodinarea pubgrub passable B&B.also does Bothserve and the furbished Edale hastwowalker-friendly pubs,there- Eating Farm Barn Camping dedicated tofamiliesandbackpackers. fields with youthgroups,andhasseparate option. Withgoodfacilities,itisalsopopular office (visitorcentre), isthemostconvenient -campsite.co.uk; sitesperperson£4.50; owned 450 For campers, theNationalPark Authority– ) 01433 /pop1200 is bookable through theYHA. isbookablethrough EKDSRC • Csltn ••Castleton DISTRICT PEAK Fieldhead Campsite Rambler Inn Rambler Old Nag’sHead ( %

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seams of BlueJohnseams andgreat limestonesta- withcolourfulexposed walk fromCastleton, Apr-Oct, Sat&SunNov-Mar) Apr-Oct, adult/child£6.25/4.25; .devilsarse.com; tre. Ithasthelargest naturalcave entrancein pretty streamside walkfromthevillage cen- h Arse. Visits are byhourlyguidedtouronly. England, known(notsoprettily) astheDevil’s most convenient, and BlueJohn miningover thecenturies.The they have expandedfromextensive lead,silver mostlynatural, open tothepublic.Although underground limestonecaves, andfourare north toMam Torandbeyond. street gridand medieval down toCastleton’s stunning viewover theHopeValley, straight isn’tbadeither,witha pheric, andthesetting keep in1176.Theruinsare wickedly atmos- it originally,andHenry IIaddedthecentral Peveril, sonof WilliamtheConqueror,built walkupfromthevillage.the steep William 10am-4pmThu-MonNov-Mar) &Oct, Apr, Sep £3/1.50; is ruined Crowning thehilltosouthof Castleton Sights 10am-5pm Nov-Feb) office tourist of thecastle. row, rocky Cave Dale,farbelow theeastwall Limestone Way( p446 ), which includesnar- isthenorthernterminus ofCastleton the Activities of section theMamclosed Torroad. on display.Youcanget here onfootupthe Watch outfortheoldminingequipment,also of theBlueJohn mineralcanprove dazzling. sive of set naturalcaverns, where therich veins h ‘stork’. lactites, includingthemuch-photographed h excuses. less Pit.Claustrophobics shouldmake their a huge subterranean lake calledtheBottom- where visitors silencetoreach glideineerie afloodedmineshaft, unique boattripthrough cafés, B&Bs,theYHA hostel, andthemodern Blue JohnCavern Cavern Cliff Treak Cavern Speedwell The area isriddledwith aroundCastleton 10am-5pm May-Sep, to3.30pmOct-Apr) 10am-5pm May-Sep, 9.30am-5pm summer,toduskwinter) to3.20pmNov-Feb) 10am-4.20pm Mar-Oct, h 10am-6pm May-Jul, 10am-7pmAug,10am-5pm Peveril Castle Peveril ( % are here orjustnearby. 620679;

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620613; adult/child ( isanimpres- % 10am-4pm daily , wellworth includesa 620285; www isashort Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com the path direct to HollinsCross, then goto circuit takes three tofourhours. This6-mile tracks leadbackdown toCastleton. called HollinsCross, fromwhere paths and aims northwestalongtheridge toanother gap remains of theoldmainroad.)Thepaththen Hope Valley. thefractured (Youcanalsosee of Mam views alongthe Tor,forspectacular the ridge. Goupsteps here toreach thesummit agapin where through theroadtoEdalepasses reachanother roadtoeventually Mam Nick, (north)onapathcrossingfieldsand Go straight the westof Rowter Farm theBuxton Rd. tomeet miles, thenlooproundonpaths andtracksto the LimestoneWayupCave Daleforafew EDALE &CASTLETON If youfeel like ashorter walk,youcanfollow A shorter option from Castleton isto takeA shorter optionfrom Castleton Tourist Office(Castleton)...... Speedwell Cavern...... u tto...... A4 Bus Station...... SLEEPING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION Treak CliffCavern...... Peveril CastleEntranceand TRANSPORT DRINKING EATING Tourist Office(Edale)...... Ye OldeNag'sHeadHotel...... Rambler Inn...... Old Nag'sHead...... Rambler's Rest...... Mam TorHouse...... Fieldhead Campsite...... (see2) Edale YHAHostel...... Cotefield FarmCampingBarn.. Castleton YHAHostel...... Information...... Peveril Castle...... T Ye OldeCheshireCheese...... George...... Peak Cavern...... Blue JohnCavern......

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.uk; Hawkhill Rd;dmmembers/nonmembers£13.95/16.95) .uk; Hawkhill place isonly1.5milesaway. junction to hereright andkeep goinguphill,pastanother EyamandGrindleford;turn running between and apatch of anotherlane woodlandtomeet from thevillage square, fields thenupthrough Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com national park. of leaflets andbooks about Bakewell andthe h field. Thehelpful roads radiate toMatlock, Buxtonand Shef- The centre of townisRutlandSq,fromwhere Orientation &Information trail-backs onsummer weekends. andareputationambling distance fortraffic know), acoupleof within finecountryhouses (the you Bakewell Pudding–it’snotatart cyclists andwalkers. Ithasafamouspudding for base spa-town neighbour, butit’sauseful It’s notasinteresting orpicturesque asitsposh Peak it’shardlyametropolis). District(though After Buxton, thisisthelargest towninthe % BAKEWELL (40 minutes). to andfromChesterfield, stoppingatEyam 65and66runabout sixtimesperday buses FromBuxton, urday, noSundayservice). toEyam(three dailyMondaytoSat- goes miles eastof Buxton.Bus175fromBakewell Eyam is7milesnorthof Bakewell and12 Getting There&Away ahead tobesure of aspot. and fulltotherafters mostweekends. Book Rd;d£50) Main perched upahilloverlooking thevillage. withafolly, In afineoldVictorianhouse £10.95/13.95) .org.uk; Bretton, HopeValley; dmmembers/nonmembers YHAHostel Bretton Sleeping circuit takes about1½hours atagentle pace. which leadsdirectly tothechurch. This2-mile your steps backdownthelane,thentake apath invinegar.coins sterilised Youcanretrace The Eyampeoplepaidforthegoodsusing for Eyamfolkbyfriendsfromothervillages. other supplieswere leftduringtheplaguetime Eyam YHAHostel Crown Cottage 10am-5pm) 01629 /pop3,979 Bright, walker- Bright, andcyclist-friendly – If theEyamYHA’s full,thisbasic , intheoldMarket Hall, hasracks Mompesson’s Well (

tourist office tourist ( ( % % 630858; www.crown-cottage.co.uk; 0870 7705830;[email protected] 0870 7705720;bretton@yha ( , where foodand % 813227; Bridge St; 813227; Bridge PEAK DISTRICT ••Bakewell DISTRICT PEAK cratic but slightly careworn,cratic but slightly thishotel isthe Monsal Trailfollowalternate ofMonsal sections the 5 milessoutheastof Buxton.Walkers onthe of Peak theHigh andTissington Trails,about packhorses forcenturies. packhorses ancient stonestructure byPeak used District armsbakewell.com; theSquare; s/d £65/120; armsbakewell.com; on themainroad leading toBuxton. B&B inthebestPeak Districttradition. Itis more thanthree centuries,thisisaninviting pn House Melbourne Sleeping the duke’s carpet. theretaxi andwalkback,soyoudon’t muddy ( worth House p455 ). Youcouldtake abusor homes of Haddon Hall ( p454 ) andChats- three hours fortheround-trip. Hotel, provides welcomerefreshment. Allow Head attheMonsal Bar a goodpub,Stables Head,the dramaticviewpointatMonsal where out-and-back to walk(3mileseach way)goes and besiderivers. FromBakewell, anexcellent old railwayandpretty footpaths fields through Parsley CycleHire nearby. Thenearest placetohire abike isthe are numerousothertracksandcountrylanes andthere1 milesouthontheoldrailwayitself, Bakewell youcancycleabout 3milesnorthand and cyclingtrackcalledthe convertedrailway linehasbeen toawalking toreach along HolmeLane stream thewater through meadows,andthen riverside walksleadinbothdirections. Goup- bridge medieval brings you–notsurprisinglytothepretty ing cowdung. tobemadewithmaterials includ- used houses scatological theme,shows howearlyPeakland Apr-Oct) Cunningham Pl;adult/child£2.50/1.50; has suffered atthehandsof time. crossinthechurchyard,ing atall which sadly olderSaxonstoneworkremains,even includ- Church lively. Uponthehillabove RutlandSq, the square isvery behind thetouristoffice marketBakewell’s weekly isonMonday,when Sights &Activities

Rutland ArmsHotel Other walkingroutes gotothestately On thenorthernedge of Bakewell, aformer Near thechurch, A strollfromRutlandSqdownBridge St hassomeancientNormanfeatures, and displaysaTudorlooand,alsoon ) Inapretty, listed buildingdatingback over theRiver Wye,fromwhere ( % ( % 01298-84493) Old HouseMuseum 815357; Buxton Rd;s/d£35/50; 815357; Buxton

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, an THE MIDLANDS MIDLANDS THE THE MIDLANDS the Square) day’s activities. wallet anditsgenerous portionshelp fuelthe comeswithasmile,it’seasyonyour service downtotheplastic-backedright chairs, but presentation, fromthe darkvarnished barto presentation, restaurant scene. It’sasmart bistro,withslick 2pm &7-8.30pmTue-Sun) chips £4.70; should yourequire. jumbosizes here,They comeinseriously ing theoriginalBakewell Puddingrecipe. speciality whenintown. It wouldbebadmanners nottotrythelocal thetown’seponymouscake.name, selling and bakeries, mostwith‘pudding’ inthe Bakewell’s streets are linedwithcute teashops Eating &Drinking asanormaldouble. that coststhesame keeps youup.Room20hasafour-poster bed noise roomiftraffic ahigher options. Get most refined of theBakewell accommodation 454 (11mi) To Buxton 3 BAKEWELL

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11 10 i l 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 B3 B2 A2 B2 B2 B2 A2 A2 A2 B2 east sideof theriver. thefieldsmostlyon the footpaththrough for Matlock 30minutes) (every orwalkalong the A6.Youcanget there onanybusheading lonelyplanet.com the above - ‘Do the right thingwithourcontent.’ the above -‘Dotheright theterms and conditionsonoursiteforalonger wayofsaying youknow,orresell it.See everyone site,mass emailitto only. Inotherwords, pleasedon’tuploadthischapterto apeer-to-peer Inreturn, wethinkit’sfair toaskyouuseitforpersonal,non-commercial purposes restricted. © LonelyPlanetPublications. iteasier foryoutouse,accessthischapterisnotdigitally Tomake 1686 and1707,againenlarged andim- sometimes opentothepublic. rooms namedafter are theimprisonedqueen, incl admissiontothehouse£12.40/4.95) of Shrewsbury. The fourthhusband,theearl the guardof Bess’ and 1581atthebehestof ElizabethI,under was imprisonedhere 1570 between onandoff most famousguest,Mary of Queen Scots.She Hardwick; alittlelater cameChatsworth’s of Bess in1551bytheinimitable was started Devonshire forcenturies.Theoriginalhouse occupiedbythedukesvast edificehasbeen of Mar-Dec) adult/child£9.75/3.50; .chatsworth.org; tuous visitors Themaindrawissump- toBritain. together formamajor formany highlight and perfectly landscapedparkof Chatsworth The great home,manicured stately gardens Chatsworth The house is2milessouthofThe house Bakewell on The house wasextensivelyThe house altered between . Knownasthe‘Palace of thePeak’, this Chatsworth House Chatsworth PEAK DISTRICT ••AroundBakewell DISTRICT PEAK Scots bedrooms

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(adult/child sor), andcyclistscanpedalviaPilsley. the mock-Venetian village of Edensor(en- take footpaths Chatsworthparkvia through walkersuphill fromtheoldtrainstation; can outonthequietlanethatleads Bakewell. Start September.worth Junethrough Bakewell (twoperday)thatextends toChats- Macclesfield,runs abusbetween Buxtonand timesdaily).Virgin Trains Sunday (215,seven fromBakewell runsona direct busservice If you’re driving,it’s£1.50topark.Theonly walking andpicnicking. Brown,opentothepublicfor by Capability hectares of parkland,originallylandscaped thatisanother400hours of fun.Beyond an away inthehillsof theDarkPeak. Forthekids whenyou’re miles itcanbeseen sohigh tain gardens magnificent artworks. all treasure-troves of splendidfurniture and the30orsoroomsareceilings, although attractions are thepainted anddecorated dates from these periods.Amongtheprime dates fromthese proved inthe1820s;much of whatyousee Chatsworth is3milesnortheastof Bakewell. Another optionistowalkorcyclefrom issurroundedby25sqmilesofThe house adventure playground adventure

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455 THE MIDLANDS MIDLANDS THE