Staffordshire is a historic and culturally rich county in the West Midlands known for its pottery heritage, scenic countryside, castles, and family-friendly attractions.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.