THE HEART OF ENGLAND HAS EVERYTHING!

The Heart of England has much to interest the whole family with its diverse mix of cultures, fact and fiction, legend and myth, world famous characters, excellent places to stay and ample choices for food and drink. This quintessential English Countryside with rolling hills and valleys of rural shire counties, has everything a family could wish for. Take to the water and enjoy a boat trip through some of the most beautiful and historic waterways in the country, experience ancient legends and customs, from tales of Robin Hood to Well Dressing, tour the many grand houses and gardens, or take the kids to award winning theme parks. See world famous craftsmen from Wedgwood, Worcester and Royal Crown Derby, discover myths, legends and centuries of heritage in castles, historic houses and their beautiful gardens in every county across the region. A must visit is Cadbury World in Bournville where the history, the making and the magic of chocolate is there for all to savour. Cadbury World opened in 1990 and remains the only purpose built visitor centre in the UK devoted entirely to chocolate. The interactive family show takes you on a fantastical journey into Cadbury Land where no one is too old to join the fun. Kids from 0-90 can enjoy the magic of Cadabra where the whole family can jump aboard a colourful Beanmobile and experience a memorable ride through an enchanted chocolate wonderland. The brand new play area is suitable for children of all ages, plus there's picnic tables so parents can take a well-deserved rest and sample the merchandise!

The area has many great historic houses and castles, most of which the kids will love to visit and explore. It was here in the Heart of England that William the Conqueror built his great hilltop castle at Rockingham, a royal residence for 500 years; here too you'll find Hardwick Hall, the last and greatest houses of Bess of Hardwick, said to be the richest woman in England after Elizabeth I. For more recent royal connections, you need look no further than Althorp, the family home of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, or Shugborough, the mansion that is the ancestral home of Lord Lichfield, the royal photographer. Sulgrave Manor, near Banbury, was the home of George Washington's direct ancestors before they emigrated to the New World. Today it is a splendid example of a Tudor manor house and gardens of Shakespeare's time. Sudeley Castle in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire is the most romantic in England and is where Henry VIII's last Queen, Katherine Parr, is buried. Some years ago, workmen were moving her tomb and accidentally removed the top, for a few seconds her perfectly preserved body was seen before it crumbled to dust! Warwick Castle is the ancestral home of the Earls of Warwick and the 'King Maker'. It is the finest medieval castle in England dating back to the days of William the Conquerer and it brings to life 1000 years of history. Many attractions including periodic displays of swordmanship, jousting, and birds of prey. The spirit of medieval times is alive in Hereford where the Mappa Mundi, the world's oldest existing complete medieval map of the world is housed at Hereford Cathedral together with the world's largest chained library. Worcester Cathedral was the home of a thriving community of monks from AD961 for nearly 600 years. They followed the Rule of St. Benedict, in common with the monastries in many parts of Europe. These religious houses kept alive not only the faith but also the tradition of classical learning during the Dark Ages which followed the collapse of the Roman Empire. King John is entombed here.

For rich literary and cultural heritage the land that gave birth to William Shakespeare is second to none. Stratford-upon-Avon is home to a number of attractions from this period, Mary Arden’s House was the home of Shakespeare's mother, before she married. You can also visit Shakespeare’s birthplace, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, and the homes of Shakespeare's daughter and granddaughter, Halls Croft, Nash’s House and New Place offering a fascinating insight into the life of the Heart of England's most famous playwright. All the houses are connected to William Shakespeare or his immediate family and offer an authentic experience of the Stratford-upon-Avon world of the famous dramatist. Each house has its own fascinating story to tell and the guides offer a unique insight into many aspects of the life, work and times of William Shakespeare. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust also cares for a sixth Tudor property in Stratford-upon-Avon, Harvard House, which houses the Museum of British Pewter.

The area is also renowned for its industrial heritage and Ironbridge is the birthplace of the industrial revolution and there are nine award winning museums and sites that tell this momentous story. Kids will love visiting the open-air Black Country Living Museum in Dudley where Victorian times have been magically recreated. Houses, shops, a chapel, school and the Bottle and Glass Inn pub are just some of the buildings that have been meticulously reconstructed to recreate an era of manufacturing enterprise at the heart of industrial Britain. In Loughborough they can rediscover the age of steam by taking a steam train journey at any time of year along Britain's only main line steam railway at the Great Central Railway. A must for motor enthusiasts of all ages is the Heritage Motor Centre in Warwickshire. There’s not only the world’s largest collection of historic British cars, but the kids are especially well catered for with indoor and outdoor play areas, miniature roadway with battery powered cars, go-kart track, nature trail and the Land Rover 4x4 off-road experience.

There’s a massive choice of options for many magical, fun-filled days. Older children will be fascinated by Snibston Discovery Centre and the National Space Science in Leicester. The centre houses a planetarium, a research centre, artefacts from space and the only Challenger Learning Centre outside North America. Furry and feathered friends are always firm favourites for youngsters and there's a great choice of zoos and wildlife centres in the region including Twycross Zoo and West Midlands Safari Park. Dudley Zoo and Castle, covers fifty acres and is home to a wide variety of animals from around the world. An education unit, tropical centre and reptile house provides visitors the opportunity to see and learn about animals from every continent. Dudley Castle first mentioned in the Domesday Book and once the imposing feudal stronghold of the Earls of Dudley offers magnificent views across the Black Country. The region is also home to some of the country's most famous theme parks so don't miss out on the thrills and spills of Drayton Manor Park and Alton Towers.

A place I would certainly recommend, especially if you happen to visit at the right time of year, is the Walsall Arboretum which opened in 1874 and contains over 80 acres of parks, lakes and gardens. Each September and October the Arboretum is home to the spectacular Walsall illuminations which began in 1875 when candles in coloured jars were used to light up the Arboretum’s centre green. Nowadays 25,000 bulbs light up 35 acres of lakes, trees and gardens and provide magical animated scenes with a variety of themes.

Sandwell Valley Country Park is an oasis of countryside filled with parklands and woodlands, hidden pools, picnic sites wildlife refuges, wildfowl lakes and the remains of an old Benedictine monastery. See the famous Tamworth pig at Sandwell Park Farm, a nineteenth century mixed farm with animal breeds and crops as appropriate to the period. Also in Sandwell is the Victorian Haden Hill House and Park set within 55 acres of landscaped parkland and Oak House, one of the best timber-framed buildings in the Midlands and offers a lively public service of talks and guided tours. Hawkstone Historic Park and Follies is a wooded magical land of grottoes, caves, cliffs and follies. Created in the 18th Century, Hawkstone became one of the greatest historic parklands in Europe. Centred around the Red Castle and the awe-inspiring Grotto Hill, it offers visitors hours of delight and excitement and stunning views of the Shropshire countryside and beyond. Intricate pathways, ravines, arches and bridges, the towering cliffs and follies, the hermit in his hermitage and King Arthur addressing his troops in the awesome caves combine to create a magical visit.

Bridgnorth District hosts many and varied attractions. The Severn Valley Railway is Britain’s premier steam railway. It runs through 16 miles of glorious countryside and restored stations along the beautiful Severn valley between Bridgnorth and Kidderminster and is home to steam and diesel loco’s. Bridgnorth Cliff Railway is a remarkable funicular railway. It’s the oldest and steepest inland electric cliff railway in the country. RAF Cosford brings aviation history to life. Fine examples of aviation heritage are in the Transport Collection, Research & Development, Warplanes, Missiles & Aero-Engine collections. Rays Farm Country Matters has a large collection of animals and owls. Kids can meet the Storytelling Witch, Billy Goat Gruff and the Troll, and many more characters along the Myth and Magic Woodcarving Trail. Hoo Farm and Animal Kingdom also has lots to see and do. Kids can feed the animals, make pots and candles, or ride mini quad bikes.

USEFUL INFORMATION

This great website has loads of useful information about the whole area and website links to most of the attractions mentioned in the feature.

www.visitheartofengland.com

Other informative sites:

www.ironbridge.org.uk

www.blackcountrytourism.co.uk

www.birmingham.org.uk

www.shropshiretourism.info

www.shakespeare-country.co.uk

Accommodation

The Choice Hotel group offer an excellent range of family friendly hotels in the Heart of England. The hotel restaurants are very child-friendly and have high chairs and children’s menus. Details of individual hotels can be found on their very user friendly website:
www.choicehotelseurope.com

Central reservations freephone:
From UK - 0800 44 44 44.
From USA/Canada – 1 800 4CHOICE

Coventry - Quality Hotel Stonebridge Manor
80 bedroom hotel in close proximity to Stratford-on-Avon. The hotel has family rooms available and further facilities include a gym with sauna and a Regency style restaurant.

Loughborough Quality Hotel and Suites
94 bedroom hotel close to the town centre. The hotel had family rooms with in-room movies and playstation games. The hotel features and indoor swimming pool.

Quality Hotel, Stafford
47 bedroom hotel in the heart of the Staffordshire countryside. Close to Ironbridge, Alton Towers, The Potteries World and The Black Country Museum. The hotel had family rooms with in-room movies and playstation games

Clarion Hotel Madley Court, Telford
Splendid country house hotel in the heart of Shropshire countryside. The hotel, a converted 13th Century Mill house has been converted into a hotel which offers close proximity to the Ironbridge Gorge Museum and the Cosford Air Museum.

Quality Hotel, Stoke-on-Trent
136 bedroom hotel in the city of Stoke, located next door to a multiplex cinema and ski centre. The hotel has a swimming pool and leisure facilities and restaurant and bar. Families rooms are available with pay-per-view movies on request.

Quality Hotel and Suites, Walsall
Conveniently located for the Walsall Illuminations, Alton Towers and The Black Country. The hotel has family rooms and leisure facilities with a swimming pool.

Quality Hotel, Birmingham
215 fully equipped en-suite bedrooms with swimming pool, interactive TV and PlayStation games. They have standard family room accommodating 2 adults and 2 children or for some extra space, inter-connecting rooms. The hotel is conveniently located close to the city centre and for all the major attractions in and around Birmingham such as: Cadburys World, National Sealife Centre, Warwick Castle, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham Botanical Gardens & Glasshouses, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Chatsworth, Alton Towers and Shakespeare Country.
www.quality-hotels-birmingham.com

Other recommended hotels in the area are:

The Garth Hotel, Stafford
The hotel is located close to Stafford and the M6 motorway. It has four interconnecting rooms suitable for families and organises Alton Towers theme park breaks.
www.corushotels.com

Stone Manor Hotel, Kidderminster
Located in the historical county of Worcestershire and surrounded by idyllic countryside, the privately owned four star Stone Manor Hotel is beautifully set in 25 acres of landscaped gardens. Leisure facilities include tennis courts, putting green, croquet lawn and outdoor swimming pool. The hotel is conveniently located for the West Midlands Safari Park and the Severn Valley Railway.
www.stonemanorhotel.co.uk

Some recommended child-friendly places to eat:

The Moat House Hotel, West Bromwich
www.moathousehotels.com

Novotel, Wolverhampton
www.novotel.com

The Village Hotel, Dudley
www.vlh.co.uk

The Pie Factory, Tipton
www.madpies.co.uk

email: info@gowithkids.com