Category: THE MIDLANDS

Nestled in the shadow of 517m-high Mam Tor and crowned by the ruins of Peveril Castle, the neat little settlement of Castleton has a couple of narrow lanes with sturdy gritstone houses and colourful gardens, and a good collection of cosy country pubs. Oh yes – and about a million tourists on summer weekends. But don’t let that put you off. Come here at a quieter time to enjoy good walks, and marvel at the famous ‘showcaves’, where a semiprecious stone called Blue John has been mined for centuries.

Rutland’s motto ‘Multum in Parvo’ (so much in so little) refers to its status as England’s smallest county. Rutland Water, one of the largest reservoirs in Europe, makes it a haven for water-sport lovers, as well as climbers and bird-watchers.

The city was blitzed so badly in WWII that the Nazis coined a new verb ‘Coventrieren’, meaning ‘to flatten’. Postwar planning doomed Coventry to a nondescript concrete centre apart from the striking new cathedral, which was built alongside the bombed-out shell of the old. There are enough cathedrals to go round here – another even older one was recently excavated. The city also has an interesting industrial history as a prolific car-maker, the product of which can be seen in an absorbing transport museum.

Staffordshire, in the words of Stoke-born novelist Arnold Bennett, has long been ‘unsung by searchers after the extreme’ – but if you took that to mean ‘boring’ you’d be mistaken. Though it’s tucked between the urban sprawls of Birmingham and Manchester, the county has a surprising abundance of natural beauty, from rolling Cannock Chase, a magnet for walkers and cyclists, to the prickly spine of the Peak District known as the Roaches. The haunting Gothic might of Lichfield’s wonderful cathedral, the wild rides at Alton Towers, and the neoclassical mansion of Shugborough are among the county’s other charms.

Staffordshire’s industrial heart, though historically important in pottery production, holds limited appeal to the visitor, except in one department: the porcelain for which the city is famed. For a preview of Stoke, check out Arnold Bennett’s memorable descriptions of the area in its industrial heyday in his novel Anna of the Five Towns (something of a misnomer as Stoke actually consists of six towns).

Without doubt one of the prettiest parts of England, Derbyshire is a winning combination of rolling green hills dotted with lambs and lined with stone fences, beautiful wild moors, remote windswept farms and grey-stone villages. And, er, Derby.

Time seems to have stood still at this enchanting picture-postcard village. Surrounded by sweeping Peak District countryside at its most majestic, the tiny cluster of imposing stone houses and the parish church are eye-catching in their own right. Ramblers and mountain bikers love it here: Edale lies between the White and Dark Peak areas, and is the southern terminus of the Pennine Way. Its train station makes this seemingly remote enclave very accessible – and highly popular.

The magnificent turreted castle is the lure for most of the visitors to this quiet county town. It’s an awe-inspiring sight – as are the queues in summer. Several other sights are less over-run, but also well worth stopping for. A gentle stroll round the centre reveals well-preserved historic buildings – survivors of a fire in 1694 that destroyed much of the town – as well as absorbing museums and fine riverside views.