HEART OF ENGLAND
The shires of middle England were the home of great industry during the 18th and 19th centuries, aided by a network of canals that shifted iron and coal to where it was needed. Today, those canals are largely waterways of leisure and the early industrial centres are fascinating museums. Pick up a family annual passport (£61.20 online for two adults and two children) for access to the 10 museums that make up the impressive Ironbridge Gorge complex in Shropshire, or attend a glass slumping workshop at the Glass Quarter in Stourbridge. Chocoholics should head for Cadbury’s World, while those interested in cars and aviation should make a bee-line for the British Transport Museum, the Midlands Air Museum or the RAF Museum at Cosford, where among the 70 aircraft, you can see the world’s oldest Spitfire. For all things Shakespeare, the extraordinary timber-framed houses of Stratford will satisfy your needs and you can take in a show at the theatre or one of its informative backstage tours. Little ones will love the Stratford Butterfly Farm. Nestled among the uplands and valleys of the Peak District National Park, the Cotswolds, the Chilterns, the Shropshire Hills, the Malvern Hills and Cannock Chase – all Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty – are picturesque villages: check out Bibury and Burford. Meanwhile, Chatsworth, Blenheim Palace, Hardwick Hall and Warwick Castle and their family-friendly estates feature among the region’s stately piles.
Attractions span the centuries
Chester Zoo, with its 11,000 animals, is one of the most popular tourist destinations outside London. Chester also has the oldest racecourse, Britain’s largest Roman amphitheatre, a 1000-yearold cathedral and 700-year-old shopping rows. Don’t miss Macclesfield’s Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre, home to the awesome Lovell telescope, or the Silk Museum and Daresbury Church, with its windows depicting scenes from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. For city life, Manchester’s bright lights offer museums, including the National Football Museum (football fans can take a stadium tour at Manchester United and Manchester City) and the theatres and restaurants of Salford Quays. Meanwhile the university city of Oxford and its college buildings provide endless fascination.
■ Turn to p53 of the Top 100 guide for site info