THE MIDLANDS – World Travel

Leicestershire And Rutland

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 06:59:57 +0000

In typical Midlands fashion, Leicestershire self-deprecatingly plays down its own attractions, yet it boasts several picturesque villages, a rich industrial heritage and a few key historic sites – not to mention magnificent Belvoir Castle. Leicester, meanwhile, is a vibrant multicultural city.

Tiny Rutland was merged with Leicestershire in 1974, but in April 1997 regained its ‘independence’ as a county. With magnificent Rutland Water and charming settlements, it’s a hit with lovers of water sports and quaint villages.

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Lichfield

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 06:59:57 +0000

This pretty market town is home to one of England’s most beautiful cathedrals, a monumental three-spired Gothic masterpiece that is worth the trip alone. It’s also been something of a think-tank in its time: famed wit and lexicographer Samuel Johnson was born here, and Erasmus Darwin, Charles’ grandfather and a man of note in his own right, lived and studied here for years.

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Matlock Bath

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 06:59:57 +0000

Charming, tacky and quirky in a uniquely British way, Matlock Bath is like a seaside resort that got lost in landlocked rural Derbyshire. Day-trippers wander down the brash promenade, popping into amusement arcades, an aquarium, Victorian cafés, pubs and the souvenir shops – some with stock that seems left over since Victorian times. The tiny tourist beauty spot lies on the southeastern edge of the Peak District National Park. Bisected by the smooth, twisty A6, the town’s buzz becomes a roar (of engines) at the weekend, as hundreds of motorcyclists flock here. If you’re lucky, you may catch the memorable sight of a leather-clad burly biker sipping tea from a bone-china mug.

It sits next to the pleasant town of Matlock, which has little in the way of sights but is a handy gateway to the scenic dales.

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Northampton

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 06:59:57 +0000

Unassuming Northampton is surprisingly steeped in historical significance. In Saxon days it was perhaps the most important city in England, and Mary, Queen of Scots, was executed in nearby Fotheringhay. Nowadays, soulless stretches of shopping precincts blight the centre but the town has some buildings of architectural note, and it’s a good base for trips around a remarkably pretty county. It’s particularly notable for two other things: shoes (factories here used to protect the feet of half the country) and its hideous 1970s bus station, recently voted one of the ugliest buildings in Britain.

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Northamptonshire

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 06:59:57 +0000

Beyond its obvious appeal as a batch of pretty villages and winding country lanes, Northamptonshire has special relevance for fans of George Washington, Princess Diana, footwear and religious eccentrics. Its far-flung attractions also include some historic Saxon churches, honey-coloured historic towns with pretty thatched cottages and stately homes. It’s a great region for driving – attractions are interspersed throughout lovely countryside – and, as there’s no single tourism blockbuster, you don’t have to fight the masses to take in its charms.

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Bakewell

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 06:59:57 +0000

After Buxton, this is the largest town in the Peak District (though it’s hardly a metropolis). It’s not as interesting or picturesque as its posh spa-town neighbour, but it’s a useful base for cyclists and walkers. It has a famous pudding (the Bakewell Pudding – it’s not a tart you know), a couple of fine country houses within ambling distance and a reputation for traffic trail-backs on summer weekends.

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Nottingham

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 06:59:57 +0000

Linked forever to Robin Hood and his merry band of men in Lincoln green, Nottingham today is a dynamic mix of medieval and modern. Amid multistorey car parks and who-cares-what-you-think architectural eyesores, you’ll stumble upon a centuries-old landmark that crusaders probably knew – it’s that kind of place. Transformed by the riches of the 19th-century lace industry, the city developed into a powerful manufacturing engine-room, churning out Raleigh bikes, the Boots pharmacy empire and cigarettes. Industry has since declined, but the nightlife, culture and shopping most definitely have not. The city boasts fashion designer Paul Smith as one of its own, while the clubs and bars are some of the liveliest in the country. Trent Bridge is a major draw for cricket fans, and the reds of Nottingham Forest football club have an impressive heritage that belies their current form.

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Birmingham

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 06:59:57 +0000

Once a drab, grimy urban basket case, England’s second-largest city – nicknamed ‘Brum’ – has spectacularly re-invented itself as a vibrant, cultural hot spot. Huge regeneration projects have breathed life into the industrial landscapes and canals that crisscross the city; now there are more glamorous shops, buzzing pubs and jumping nightclubs than you can shake a bargepole at.

Mind you, it’s still no oil painting. The familiar destructive brew of WWII bombs and woeful town planning left a legacy of concrete and ring roads that will probably never fully be disguised. But, no matter: Birmingham is making the most of what it’s got. Established cultural and architectural gems dot the city centre and planners keep coming up with ever more innovative architectural makeovers: the striking postindustrial Bullring shopping centre is just the latest. Although the manufacturing industry that defined Birmingham as the ‘workhorse of the world’ is declining (workers at the Longbridge Rover car factory recently felt the pinch of the moribund UK car industry), the city is well placed to adapt. More self-assured, cool and confident than it has been in many a year, it is hampered by only one thing – its inhabitants’ accent, which is consistently voted England’s least attractive.

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Nottinghamshire

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 06:59:57 +0000

Nottinghamshire seems to breed good stories: this is the land of the legendary Robin Hood and his merry men, and the home of provocative writer DH Lawrence and decadent bad-boy poet Lord Byron. Even its castles and pubs are draped in myth and mystery. The city of Nottingham is a vibrant hub of business, shopping and clubbing, while the surrounding countryside is dotted with the occasional gem of a stately home.

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Buxton

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 06:59:57 +0000

With its grand Georgian architecture, central crescent, leafy parks, tourists and thermal waters, Buxton invites comparisons to Bath. It’s smaller in scale, however, and lodged a little less far up its own backside. While the Romans discovered the natural warm-water springs, the town’s heyday was not until the 18th century when ‘taking the waters’ was highly fashionable. After years of relative obscurity, ambitious restoration projects have put the sparkle back into the town, especially the resurrection of the Opera House, which had fallen into disuse in the 1970s.

Every Tuesday and Saturday, colourful stalls light up Market Pl. The town itself is made for hours of browsing idly and café-crawling.

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