This is the ideal park for the entire family, offering a variety of facilities including boating lakes, playgrounds, tennis courts, tropical greenhouses and nature conservation areas. It is also the home of the Midland Arts Centre. A walking/bicycling route winds through the grounds that has recently been extended. The park also plays host to a variety of concerts, performances and the annual Fireworks Fantasia.
Situated across Church Hill Road, the St Alphege Parish Church is a historic church that dates back to the 12th Century. Over a period of time, it was refurbished several times; the bells and the church's shire were renovated too. It is a beautifully restored religious space and its ancient organ pipe organ, stained glass windows that belong to different time periods and the overall architecture is worth exploring. Apart from that, this church is home to community functions, choir concerts, youth groups, sermons, lectures and similar events.
Housing one of the world's finest collections of Pre-Raphaelite art, with works by Rossetti, Ford Madox Brown and Holman Hunt, Birmingham's principal museum and gallery is located in a stunning Victorian building. The museum displays works by British and European artists, along with collections of ceramics, sculpture, silver and stained glass. You can also find archaeological, ethnographic and local history exhibits, including Egyptian mummies.
The Black Country is a large industrial area to the north-west of Birmingham and this museum is a reminder of how things used to be here 100 years ago. It comprises many historic buildings, taken down from elsewhere and re-erected to make an authentic town of a century ago. Highlights include an old-fashioned funfair, a narrowboat ride and a trip down a coal mine, light is deliberately kept to the levels that would have been experienced by the miners. All children and adults can take a lesson in an 1840s school and tour round a Victorian sweetshop, chemist's, nail-making shop and stables, among many other exhibits.
The Rep is one of Britain's most successful and prestigious producing theaters, having achieved national recognition for quality and excitement. The theater offers an eclectic mix of productions. Past performances have included Noel Coward's Private Lives, Patrick Marber's award-winning Closer and a version of Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men. The theater also has a cafe bar, which is extremely popular in the evenings and on weekends, often offering live jazz.
As the only surviving example of the once prevalent Back to Backs of Birmingham, these historic buildings are a rare treasure. During the 19th Century, a number of buildings were built back to back around a common courtyard to meet the demands of the rapidly growing population of the city as a result of industrialization. These houses were inhabited by the working class who managed to survive in these cramped quarters. Each of the four Back to Backs around the courtyard has been restored and refurnished as a representation of four different time periods, giving visitors an extremely rare opportunity to take a peek into the lives of the ordinary working men and women of the 1840s, 1870s, 1930s and 1970s. Only a few slots are available each day and prior reservations are a must if you wish to visit these homes.
Montpellier Gallery is modern gallery which houses the work of contemporary artists most of whom are British. You are very welcome to browse in the gallery's three rooms each displaying a range of individual pieces. For example, there are prints by artists such as Roy Fairchild, exquisite glass confections by glass maker Peter Layton and more paintings, prints, ceramics and jewelery than you can take in. If nothing catches your eye, you can always commission a one-off piece from many of the artists on show here. Please call for open hours.
Also known as The Saxon Sanctuary, St Peter's Church, with its architectural influences from various periods in time, has been described as an epitome in stone of the history of the Church of England. Its Saxon tower and sanctuary, dating back to the 10th Century or earlier, make this parish church one of the most ancient buildings in Shakespeare Country. Whilst you are here, make sure that you visit the barn-roofed Lady Chapel. This features an exhibition tracing the history of this corner of Warwickshire at around the time of the first millennium, as recounted in the tale of Wagen, the local thegn (clan chief).
Although suppressed by an Act of Parliament in 1559, some Roman Catholic congregations continued to worship in private. Almost three hundred years later, following the Roman Catholic Emancipation Act of 1829 and the gradual lifting of restrictions including the re-establishment of dioceses in 1850, the time was right for a place of public worship to emerge. As a result, St. Gregory's was conceived in 1849 and, after overcoming various difficulties along the way, was born in 1866. Designed by the internationally renowned architect, Edward Welby Pugin, it was enthusiastically welcomed by the people of Stratford as a beautiful ornament to the town.
The St Peter's Church is one of the most popular churches in Cannock where most of the locals go to worship the Lord. Peace and spirituality prevails once inside even for the staunchest of Atheists. The whole surrounding is very calm and tranquil. A must visit when in Cannock. Call for further details.
If you are a Shakespeare fan, you cannot miss coming to the Shakespeare Memorial Room at the Birmingham Central Library . Built way back in 1882 by John Henry Chamberlain, the room earlier housed the Shakespeare library. Today it is a venue for many conferences, cultural and private events. The room is beautiful, designed in typically Elizabethan fashion.The interiors are intricately decorated with Elizabethan motifs, metalwork, stencils and flowers. With a modest capacity of 20, the Memorial Room doesn't feature in the top event venues of the city, but its rich history makes it a memorable destination for all. Visit website for more information.
Clent Parish Hall is not the biggest of halls in town. But that does not limit the number of events that are held at this fabulous venue. Events such as concerts, social events, celebrations and other local events are organized here. Do call for more details.