Activities in Birmingham Activities

There are many historical places of interest to visit in and around Birmingham.

Due to its central location, the city was the cradle of the industrial revolution in the region known as the Black Country which is famous for its coal mines. There is an open air museum with costume characters dedicated to the Black Country.

The Jewellery Quarter dates back 250 years and is a national epicenter for jewellery design with 40% of the UK’s jewellery originating here.

Shakespeare’s birthplace in Stratford upon Avon, is located only an hour away and well worth the visit.

You can follow in the footsteps of J.R.R. Tolkien to Blakesley Hall, Sarehole Mill and Moseley Bog where he was inspired to write The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.

Soho House is of Georgian architecture and is where the Lunar Society used to meet.  This was a group of great inventors, writers and designers.

The Back to Back houses were restored in the 19^th century and shows how working class people used to live.

Aston Hall, built in 1618-1635, it is one of the last great Jacobean houses in the country and well work a visit.

Birmingham is built on a canal system which is larger than Venice.  The first canal opened in 1739.

There are at least 50 festivals yearly ranging from art to jazz, offering something for everyone.

The Birmingham Hippodrome sells more theatre seats than anywhere in Britain. The Symphony Hall is home to the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Ballet has been established here for 25 years.

The National Sea Life Centre has a transparent walkway through a million litre tank of ocean water which contains over 1,000 creatures ranging from Hammerhead sharks to rays and seahorses.

There are at least ten racetracks within 50 miles of the city.

The Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery has the largest collection of pre-Raphaelite artwork in the world with 2,000 pieces.

The Think Tank Science Museum is full of hands-on activities and a fun day out for all the family.

Birmingham is the home of Cadbury’s chocolate, established in 1879. A visit to Cadbury’s World will show you how chocolate is made and you can even try it for yourself.

Birmingham is the greenest city in England with over 8,000 acres of park land. There is plenty of opportunity for outdoor activity either on the lakes or cycling or walking through the parks.

Other activities include:

• fishing
• river rafting
• sailing
• kayaking,
• windsurfing
• waterskiing
• wake boarding
• paddleboat
• rowing
• canoeing
• indoor ski slopes.

Birmingham is land-locked but the nearest beach is located at Weston-Super-Mare which is only 1 hour and 50 minutes from the city and has a superb long beach.

The UK’s first forest adventure park is located at Cannock Chase and Wyre Forest, complete with zip wires and Tarzan swings.

Wren’s Nest National Nature Reserve goes back to the Silurian era of 400 million years ago when this area was covered by coral reefs and tropical seas.  There are more than 700 fossils, 186 of which were discovered at this location.

The Botanical Gardens were established in 1824 and contain 15 acres of plants and trees.

Birmingham has the youngest population of any city in the World with 40% under 25 which ensures a vibrant lifestyle.

With such a prominent young population, there is a wide variety of nightlife available – bars, clubs, music, dance venues and comedy clubs like ‘Glee’.  Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath are from Birmingham.

Birmingham is Britain’s second largest city and is located in the West Midlands, which is a central point in the country and easily accessible by air, rail, bus or car.

The city is easily accessible by rail (New Station has just had a total revamp), road and air making it an ideal meeting point for friends, where culture, creativity and commerce all combine to make this an exciting place to be.

Visitors will see that Birmingham has come a very long way since the days when Queen Victoria used to order the Royal train’s blinds be drawn as she passed regally through the area!

England’s second city is a modern and thriving metropolis, offering something for all tastes.

Its industrial history hides it’s present as the greenest in the UK with over 8,000 acres of parks for adventure-lovers to enjoy.