Surroundings, Birmingham

The museum is a recreation of a Black Country village with chapel, cottages, baker and chemist. There is a chainmaker's house with a canal boat dock.

Chaddesley Wood is a 250 acre nature reserve with numerous cycling and walking paths. The forest has a wide variety of trees, but the most prominent are oak, birch and hazel coppice.

Dodford has an isolated pre-reformation Augustinian priory. Fergus O'Connor founded the Chartist land colony here in 1848.The village of Dodford has a parish church that was founded in 1066 and rebuilt 1100.

Four ancient standing stones are located at the summit of Clent Hill. Walton Hill (1,303ft/315m) is the highest point in the region and provides splendid views.

Drayton is located on the B4017. It has a church with 16th century alabaster carvings.

There are numerous ancient rocks throughout the hills. The Lickley Hills Country Park Visitor Center is located near a 19th century church.

Bodenham Arboretum and Earth Centre is the result of many years of work by an owner keen on arboretum landscaping. He has created two chains of lakes and pools from the streams that flowed through the area and has planted trees and shrubs from all over the world. There are now over 2000 species of trees and the pools provide habitats for flora, fauna, insect life and numerous bird species.The Earth Visitor Centre offers a unique example of environmentally sensitive building and also houses a restaurant overlooking the lake.

West Midland Safari And Leisure Park has over 40 exotic animals and includes a wide range of rides in the leisure area.

This museum is of particular importance because of the man who it is named after. Percy Pilcher was killed in a glider accident before he was able to finish working on an engine of potentially great historical significance. If he had been able to complete the engine it would likely have been Percy Pilcher who had conducted the first powered flight rather than the Wright brothers.

This traditional village has not been changed by technology. It is filled with traditional black and white houses and cottages, a 14th century church and many other period buildings.

The church in Temple Grafton is one of the two reputed to be the place of Shakespeare's wedding. The other church is in Luddington.

Great Alne is a small village with an interesting water mill.

Moseley Old Hall is a National Trust property located in Wolverhampton. The Elizabethan house is famous for being the hiding place of Charles II after the Battle of Worcester in 1671. The property also has a garden full of 17th C plants.

Wightwick Manor is a National Trust property located in Wolverhampton. The 19th century manor house contains many original William Morris wallpapers and fabrics as well as a collection of pre-Raphaelite paintings, Kempe glass, and de Morgan ware.

Museum housing Thomas Balston's collection of miniature figures, enamels, porcelain, dolls and toys.

Baddesley Clinton is a National Trust property located in Solihull. The manor house has a medieval moat and is set in 120 acres of parkland. It dates back to the 15th century. During the Elizabethan era the manor was a haven for persecuted Catholics, and down a tree-lined footpath you will find a small church.

Inspired his travels in the Grand Tour, Lord Lyttleton designed Hagley Hall's decorative stature with strong Italian influence. Several tapestries woven in Soho along with Rococo pier glasses are the primary attraction in the tapestry room while the Van Dyck room holds several paintings by the Flemish painter.The hall was damaged by fire early in this century but was restored by the 9th Lord Cobham to its original condition.

Kinver Edge is a natural area near Stourbridge that is preserved by the National Trust. It is a sandstone ridge with a covering of woodland and heath with excellent views of the surrounding counties. In the area there are several rock-houses that were inhabited until 1950s.

Tamworth's castle is a rare shell-keep of Norman traditions which has been occupied more than 800 years. Rooms open to the public include: Tudor Great Hall & Chapel, Jacobean apartments and Victorian suite.