Staffordshire is a historic and culturally rich county in the West Midlands known for its pottery heritage, scenic countryside, castles, and family-friendly attractions.
Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park is a small urban zoo located in Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, featuring a diverse range of small mammals and reptiles, involved in conservation and breeding programmes and providing educational experiences for visitors of all ages.
Sudbury Hall is a historic Restoration-era English country house in Derbyshire with a renowned Great Staircase and fine art collection, featuring a National Trust Museum of Childhood that offers interactive and child-friendly exhibits within its restored interiors and surrounding grounds.
9–12 Oct, 16 Oct–2 Nov
Follow a trail inspired by The Very Hungry Caterpillar, spotting fruits and snacks and discovering facts about the caterpillar-to-butterfly transformation. The trail includes games and activities around the stable-yard and gardens.
Saddlers Centre is a two-floor shopping centre in Walsall featuring retail access from main shopping streets, a railway station entry, and multi-level parking, reflecting the town's heritage.
Walsall is a historic market town in the West Midlands, known for its rich industrial heritage, cultural attractions including galleries and museums, and a vibrant town centre with shopping and leisure amenities.
The Nine Ladies is a Bronze Age stone circle on Stanton Moor in Derbyshire, notable for its prehistoric origin, consisting of ten millstone grit stones arranged in a circle around 10.8 meters in diameter. It serves as a significant archaeological and cultural site, attracting visitors interested in ancient monuments and modern Pagan rituals.
Shugborough Hall is a Grade I listed historic stately home and museum in Staffordshire, England, featuring opulent 18th-century interiors, a working model farm, rare farm animals, and notable follies with classical and Chinese themes in extensive grounds.
7 Oct–1 Nov (another 23 days)
An exhibition of recently conserved watercolours explores Thomas Anson’s vision for Shugborough Estate, including paintings of its monuments by Nicholas Dall, Moses Griffith and Edward Jones.
Arbor Low is a well-preserved Neolithic henge monument in Derbyshire, featuring a large limestone stone circle surrounded by earthworks and a ditch. It offers an outdoor archaeological experience showcasing ancient ceremonial structures and links to nearby barrows in a significant prehistoric landscape.
The Royal Oak in Boscobel Wood, Shropshire, is the historic English oak tree where King Charles II hid to escape after the Battle of Worcester in 1651. Visitors can explore the outdoor site near Boscobel House and learn about its significance in British history, including related traditions and commemorations.
Peak Wildlife Park is a large 75-acre zoo in Staffordshire, England, featuring a diverse range of birds, mammals, and reptiles, including polar bears. It focuses on conservation and education and offers a family-friendly outdoor experience with amenities like a café and gift shop.
Ilam Park is a 158-acre National Trust country park in Staffordshire featuring the historic Ilam Hall, a Gothic Revival style Grade II* listed building now used as a youth hostel, set amid ancient woodland and scenic river walks.
Halesowen Abbey is the ruins of a Premonstratensian abbey founded in 1218 in Halesowen, West Midlands. The site is a scheduled monument and Grade I listed, managed by English Heritage. Visitors can view the ruins from nearby footpaths, though there is no direct public access to the site itself. It reflects medieval monastic history and architecture, with its surrounding lands forming important historical estates.
Victorian Arcade in Walsall is a historic Grade II listed shopping arcade from the 1890s featuring original architecture, a barrel-vaulted glass roof, and multiple entrances in the town centre.
West Bromwich is a historic market town in the West Midlands, England, known for its industrial heritage, cultural venues, parks, and the famous West Bromwich Albion football club.
Potteries Shopping Centre is a large indoor shopping mall in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, featuring over 90 stores, a historic market hall, and an adjacent outdoor leisure complex with restaurants and a cinema. It offers a comprehensive retail and leisure experience for visitors.
Boscobel House is a historically significant Grade II* listed building in Shropshire, known for its role in protecting Charles II after the Battle of Worcester in 1651. Visitors can explore timber-framed house interiors with original and Victorian exhibits, extensive formal gardens, and the famous Royal Oak tree on the grounds.
Birmingham Back to Backs is a historic court of 19th-century back-to-back houses in Birmingham, preserved and restored as a museum showcasing working-class industrial town housing with guided tours across different eras.
Kinver Edge is a historic heath and woodland escarpment on the Staffordshire-Worcestershire border, featuring England's last inhabited rock houses open for tours, Iron Age hillforts, and scenic walking and biking trails through diverse natural habitats.
Mailbox Birmingham is a mixed-use development in Birmingham city centre featuring luxury shopping, BBC studios with an accessible public area, restaurants by the canal, office spaces, hotels, and a cinema, offering a modern indoor urban experience.
Wightwick Manor is a Victorian era Arts and Crafts house near Wolverhampton, showcasing original William Morris designs and a significant Pre-Raphaelite art collection, set in 17 acres of gardens and woodland with an additional De Morgan Gallery in the adjoining Old Manor. It is owned by the National Trust and open to the public with a café and shops onsite.
16 Oct (next Friday)
A photography workshop at Wightwick Manor and Gardens for learners and intermediate photographers, with guidance and support to develop their photography skills. Participants should bring their own camera.
Telford Centre is a large indoor shopping centre in Shropshire, England, featuring over 175 stores, a ten-screen cinema, and family-friendly attractions like the Telford Time Machine clock. It is well accessible by car and public transport, with substantial parking and step-free access throughout.
10 Oct, 4 Nov…
A full-day embroidery workshop with Amanda Carter at Sunnycroft, where participants learn or practise needlework techniques and create an embroidery piece. Materials, tuition, lunch and an opportunity to view Sunnycroft’s embroidery collection are included.
Telford is a planned new town in Shropshire, England, known for its strong industrial heritage and proximity to the Ironbridge Gorge UNESCO World Heritage Site. It features a bustling town centre with shopping, cultural amenities, and extensive parkland, surrounded by historic towns and scenic landscapes.
Grand Central is a large indoor shopping centre located above Birmingham New Street Station, featuring over 60 stores and a modern atrium roof, connected to the Bullring shopping centre forming the UK's largest city centre shopping complex.
Downs Bank is a National Trust open countryside site in Staffordshire featuring woodland, heathland, and a glaciated valley with a stream. Visitors can explore footpaths and bridleways, enjoy natural habitats including restored heathland, and visit the Millennium Viewpoint with a toposcope.
Norbury Manor is a historic 17th-century manor with an adjoining medieval hall house, known as The Old Manor, located in Norbury, Derbyshire. The site features distinctive medieval architecture, a herb garden, and the Old Manor is open to visitors seasonally.
Sandbach Crosses are two elaborately carved 9th-century Anglo-Saxon stone crosses located in the marketplace of Sandbach, Cheshire. They are outdoor historic monuments known for their religious and Celtic carvings, historically and artistically significant as Grade I listed structures and scheduled ancient monuments.
Sandbach is a historic market town in Cheshire, known for its Saxon crosses, vibrant market tradition, cultural festivals, and rich heritage buildings. It offers a walkable town centre with accessible train and bus services, providing diverse experiences for visitors.
Dudmaston Hall is a 17th-century country house and estate in Shropshire featuring historic architecture, extensive gardens, parkland, woodlands, lakes, and a distinguished collection of modern art. Visitors can explore both indoor historic interiors and outdoor landscaped grounds within a traditional English country estate setting.
11 Oct (this Sunday)
A fair in the grounds of Dudmaston Hall featuring around 30 local stalls selling handmade art, crafts and food. Visitors can browse the stalls and meet local makers.
Moseley Old Hall is a historic house and museum in Staffordshire, notable as a hiding place of Charles II during his escape in 1651. Visitors can explore the restored early 17th-century hall with period furniture and an enclosed 17th-century-style garden, all managed by the National Trust.
8–13 Oct, 15–20 Oct…
Families with children aged 7–12 can use the Stranger Folk app to follow a folklore-themed adventure at Moseley Old Hall, completing magical tasks and solving a riddle together. The adventure can be played in around 20 minutes or spread throughout the day.
The Bull Ring in Birmingham is a major shopping area featuring both traditional open-air markets and a large modern indoor shopping centre known for its unique architecture and historic market roots. It houses many shops and restaurants, including a landmark Selfridges store, and offers attractions and dining options suitable for families and visitors of all ages.
Croxden Abbey is a historic 12th-century Cistercian abbey ruin in Staffordshire, England, offering visitors an outdoor experience of its extensive archaeological remains and architecture managed by English Heritage.
Mow Cop Castle is an 18th-century folly built to resemble medieval ruins, located on the border between Cheshire and Staffordshire. It stands on a historic ridge known for ancient quarrying and offers scenic views. The site is owned by the National Trust and is free to visit.
7–11 Oct, 14–18 Oct…
A free spotter activity at Little Moreton Hall invites visitors to look for the wolf on the Moreton family crest and find wolves hidden around the hall and courtyard.
The Roundhouse in Birmingham is a rare Victorian industrial heritage site featuring a crescent-shaped former depot and stables, now hosting tours including kayaking, cycling, and walking on the adjacent canal, along with business enterprise spaces.
Merry Hill is a large indoor shopping centre in Brierley Hill, England, offering over 200 shops, a cinema, and a food court. It features a marina area with bars and restaurants and extensive free parking. The centre is family-friendly with a variety of food options and entertainment facilities.
Halesowen is a historic market town in the West Midlands with Norman-era church, abbey ruins, and a redeveloped town centre with shopping and cultural amenities. It offers access to nearby countryside and hosts local transport connections by bus.
Biddulph Grange is a National Trust Victorian landscaped garden in Staffordshire, England featuring a variety of themed garden areas including Chinese, Egyptian, and Italian sections. It offers year-round plant interest and is particularly child-friendly with tunnels and a quiz trail.
15 Oct (next Thursday)
A one-man performance of the classic penny dreadful tale of Sweeney Todd, featuring an audience with the infamous Demon Barber of Fleet Street. The show is not a musical.
Biddulph is a picturesque market town in Staffordshire Moorlands known for its historic sites including Mow Cop Castle, Biddulph Grange gardens, and scenic valley setting between Mow Cop and Biddulph Moor.
Winster Market House is a historic 16th century neoclassical building in Derbyshire featuring an assembly hall now serving as a visitor exhibition centre with displays on the mining history of Winster and a scale model of the village.
Lilleshall Abbey is a historic ruined Augustinian abbey in Shropshire with substantial 12th and 13th century stone remains set in a large monastic precinct. Visitors can explore the evocative outdoor ruins of the church and domestic buildings, surrounded by a cloister garden. The site is open to the public without charge and managed by English Heritage.
Little Moreton Hall is a historic 16th-century half-timbered moated manor house near Congleton, Cheshire. It features well-preserved Tudor architecture, extensive gardens, and a famous Long Gallery. Visitors can explore the restored house interiors, enjoy the gardens, and dine in the on-site restaurant, making it a comprehensive historic and outdoor experience.
7–11 Oct, 14–18 Oct…
Visitors can use a free spotter guide to explore the wall paintings and protective marks at Little Moreton Hall, learning about Tudor interior design and how conservators care for historic paintings.
Coopers Square is an indoor shopping centre in Burton upon Trent featuring 70 stores including major anchors Primark and Marks & Spencer, with a cafe and ample parking facilities.
Burton upon Trent is a historic market town in Staffordshire, England famed for its brewing industry, rich history, and vibrant cultural scene, offering visitors markets, theatres, breweries and riverside landmarks.
Letocetum is a Roman settlement site in Staffordshire featuring ruins of bath houses and mansio buildings, representing a historic military and civilian posting station. Visitors can explore both outdoor ruins and indoor museum displays managed by the National Trust and English Heritage.
White Ladies Priory is a historic ruin of a 12th-century Augustinian priory near Brewood, Shropshire, known for its medieval church remains, Romanesque architecture, and its role in the escape of King Charles II. It offers outdoor exploration of the priory ruins and the surrounding historic landscape, with year-round public access.
Gib Hill is a large Neolithic burial mound in Derbyshire, featuring an Early Bronze Age round barrow and forming part of a prehistoric monument complex near Arbor Low henge.
Martineau Place is a central Birmingham shopping centre offering diverse shops, restaurants, and bars within an indoor setting alongside a pedestrian route. The venue includes a hotel and is conveniently located near public transport.
The Mander Centre is a prominent indoor shopping centre located in Wolverhampton City Centre, featuring a wide variety of stores including major department anchors, dining options, and entertainment facilities suitable for families and children.
7 Oct–8 Nov (another 30 days)
An exhibition at Wightwick Manor explores the artistic and literary legacy of the Rossetti family and their circle, featuring new acquisitions, rediscovered drawings and rarely seen works. It examines the family’s relationships, upbringing and creative work.