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West Midlands Travel Tips

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Birmingham

NEC - A fantastic venue between Coventry & GBs 2nd city, hosts great things from top concerts to business exhibitions BUT it is a pain to get to & from, especially if you want to go south! Signs on the M6 are frequent if you approach the NEC from the north & likewise the M6 is signposted on the way out, however this isn’t the case if you’re from London! There really aren’t many mentions of the NEC on signs & if you don’t realize the M42s involved then you can get very lost very quickly & embark on a 20min detour! Leaving in the dark is not good, as if you go wrong, correction is almost impossible! So, use SatNav or Autoroute, don’t rely on helpful signs or map reading (at night anyway as the areas not well lit) or go by train - it’s really easy. - Cathryn

Birmingham Town Details

Coventry

Coventry has an abundance of interesting places to eat and drink. For instance, The Chace, in South Coventry is a former Doctor's house with huge paintings inside and ornate victorian fire places. There's also, The Windmill village, in Allesley with a cellar and views across the golf course and lake. Dick Turpin is alleged to have stopped here on his way from London to York. If your looking for something more modern then the old Fire station,(just opened 2007) Priory Place and the Skydome have lots to offer. Browns Restaurant is in an art deco style and has a rooftop terrace overlooking the Cathedral Spire. For a coffee, the Godiva tea rooms offers an underground medieval experience next to the historic Guildhall. A little known gem of Coventry. For fantastic countryside views around Coventry then the Old Mill, Baginton, near Coventry Airport on the River Soar is idyllic. The Quicken Tree, in Fillongly village also offers beautiful views near George Elliot Country. Brandon Hall near where Keeping Up Appearances was filmed offers stately splendor. Coombe Abbey is a very romantic place for a meal with a moat around it and landscaped gardens - Nicholas

Coventry Town Details

Solihull

To the south west of Birmingham on the A41 and with easy access to the M42 is the town of Solihull. To car enthusiasts who appreciate the benefits that a Land Rover can bring then this is the spiritual home of the Land Rover for it was here during the Second World War that the Rover Car Company established its factory. Solihull has long been associated with engineering excellence but this wasn’t until the early 19th century. Certainly there was a type of engineering undertaken here prior to that time but it was mainly an agricultural economy and the only engineering undertaken was the manufacture of agricultural implements and hunting weapons. By the 18th century Solihull boasted its own County Court and grammar school and was still heavily involved in the agricultural trade, Birmingham had been growing at a phenomenal rate and the wealthy were now building their grand houses here in Solihull. The opening of the Birmingham to Oxford Railway saw Solihull evolve from an agricultural centre to an engineering centre and the population during the early part of the 20th century grew at a tremendous rate. Today Solihull benefits from excellent road, rail and air links, its new shopping centre known as Touchwood which is home to a number of national stores and yet within easy travelling distance is the open countryside of the Heart of England.

Solihull Town Details

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