Indeed, the only limitations on your trip are those imposed by the amount of time and money you have, and your own interests. But no matter how much time or money you have, or what your interests are, you’ll find many, many things to see and do in and around Brum. I’ll leave it to the locals to cover the details. Instead, let me give you a few suggestions based on my five trips to the area over the past fifteen years.
Close-by the WDC site is one of cricket’s major shrines, the Edgbaston cricket grounds, England’s equivalent to Wrigley Field or the Rose Bowl. Stop by, observe, and, if you can find one, talk to one of the grounds’ keepers and find out how and why the grass does grow so beautifully there. Located on the University campus is the Barber Institute of Fine Art, one of the finest university art collections in the world. Alongside the occasional Van Gogh, Picasso, Matisse, and Rembrandt; are some wonderful Poussins and one of the best rare coin collections in the world. Those of you who have attended the WDCs held in Chapel Hill may note the similarities between the Barber and the Ackland Art Museum on the UNC-CH campus. If you take a few minutes and read the biographies of the two women who founded the two museums, you’ll be amazed at the similarities.
The Edgbaston area also offers several Botanical Gardens, a Nature Centre, and an Arts Centre for those interested.
The City Centre of Brum offers the usual tourist attractions: a Cathedral, Museum and Art Gallery, the National Sealife Centre, etc. etc. but the real attraction is the vibrant life of the area itself which has evolved as the city has restored its canal system; a network larger than Venice’s. Take time to visit the “new” Bull Ring and its shopping and entertainment offerings. And trust me, when the locals tell you how horrible the old Bull Ring was, believe them! For the scientifically oriented, the Thinktank, as the Museum of Science and Discovery is called, offers much of interest.
But don’t spend all your time in Brum; there are many fascinating attractions in the surrounding area. If you must indulge your sweet tooth, go ahead and visit Cadbury World, a must see for some. Frankly, I’m not a milk chocolate fan, so I’d save my money and calories for Bruxelles chocolate shops. Do make the trip out to Aston and visit Aston Hall, an old Jacobean mansion. You probably won’t run into many American tourists, but you will see a lot of the locals exploring the place and learning about a period of English history most people know little about. If you’re a golfer, make the pilgrimage to Sutton Coldfield, one of golf’s great courses. If you want to splurge for one night, arrange to stay at New Hall, England’s oldest moated hotel. Keep in mind that anything you come across in England that is named New ….. is probably the oldest thing in town! Ask Carolyne to put you up in the LP Suite (LP stands for Luciano Pavarotti or Larry Peery, take your choice) or the Cher Suite. Both come complete with fresh cookies, a carafe of sherry, and a bathtub you could float the entire British Navy in! If you don’t want to deal with the way Brits drive, use the hotel’s helipad and limo service to whisk you about.
Even if you aren’t a churchgoer, be sure to visit the famous Coventry Cathedral. The original structure, destroyed by bombs during WWII, stands next to the newer one, almost destroyed by fire some years ago. The new cathedral is seen as a symbol of peace and reconciliation. Hmmm, perhaps the WDC Society meeting should be held there? If you’re up for a bit of a drive and there’s anything worth seeing at the Royal Shakespeare Theater, go on down to Stratford, but only if you’re a real Shakespeare buff. Just remember that it will be peak tourist season and Stratford is one of the three top tourist destinations in England. Which, inevitably, brings us to the subject of castles. England has more castles than the USA has Wal-Marts and, in many ways, they are similar. Warwick is the famous one, of course, and it looks like what Disneyland’s castle would have looked like if Walt had ever visited Warwick. See it because you must, not because you should. And, as you wander through it keep one thought in mind --- THIS CASTLE IS PRIVATELY OWNED AND OPERATED WITH A PROFIT MAKING MOTIVE! And no, I’m not saying that is bad. Not at all. On the other hand, if you want something a bit more authentic, a place where you’ll actually feel like you’re in a real castle, visit Kenilworth. Most of it is in ruins, useful as backdrops for nighttime performances of Macbeth, Lucia di Lammermoor, etc. but when you stand on the ramparts and look out over the countryside below, you can almost feel the history of England flowing in your veins. If Warwick is Sir Laurence Oliver’s Henry V, then Kenilworth is Kenneth Branagh’s version. Take your pick.
In the other direction from Brum is a place called Iron Bridge. If you’ve heard of it, you’re probably planning to visit it anyway. If you haven’t, look it up and go. This is where England’s industrial revolution began. From here came the raw materials that went to the factories of Brum that make England the great power it was. Today you can see the actual Iron Bridge, visit a real mine, see how people lived and worked, etc. etc. all the time looking up to the rim of the valley where, ironically, sits a symbol of another age, a nuclear power plant.
I think it was these two spots, the Cathedral at Coventry, old and new, and Iron Bridge, old and new, that have most moved me during my travels around Brum. No doubt you will find other places that effect you similarly.
All of the places I’ve mentioned have their own web sites. Seek them out. For general information the following sites should be helpful: