West Midlands

From the spires of Oxford to the railways of Swindon, the shopping in Reading and Luton to the porcelain of Worcester; the central part of England encapsulates so many wonderful cities and towns that you can spend your entire holiday in this one location and never have a dull day! Leicester, Watford, Slough, Gloucester, Hertford too all have something special to offer; from great dining, theatre, shopping, heritage sites, castles, forts and so much more.

Oxford is synonymous with spires and learning and you won’t be disappointed. This great and beautiful, compact city centre is shaped by the oldest colleges of Oxford University. Ancient dining halls, chapels, libraries and living quarters, often grouped around quadrangles in monastic style give a unique feel to this city that is unlike any other. Oxford’s charisma has been an inspiration for many authors and provided the location for popular films and TV series from Colin Dexter’s Inspector Morse to Harry Potter’s Hogwarts Hall. Many of the 39 colleges are open to visitors on official walking tours, or an individual basis. These include the 15th century Bodleian Library, with seven million books on 110 miles of shelving; the Ashmolean Museum, the oldest public museum in Britain and the Sheldonian Theatre, the university’s ceremonial centre designed by Sir Christopher Wren.

Staying historic, Swindon offers a great insight into the glory days of rail travel. The fascinating history of the Great Western Railway has been brought alive at STEAM, the museum of the Great Western railway. The refurbished buildings of the historic railways also house the archive of England’s Heritage at the National Monuments Record Centre. Simply fascinating whether you wear an anorak or not! The attractions of Reading and Luton are more to do with those in need of retail therapy, with miles of amazing shopping. Reading is one of the country’s top 10 retail capitals with the award–winning Oracle shopping complex; whilst Luton offers the Andale Shopping Centre, home of many top brands and ideally located located in the centre of Luton close to road and rail links. The Arndale offers over 110 shops and a covered market housing 145 stalls. Don’t miss Worcester either when staying in this wonderful part of the UK. The City of Worcester is situated on the banks of the River Severn and has a rich and varied heritage to explore; from the 11th-century cathedral to Royal Worcester porcelain factory with its museum and visitor centre. Apart from historical interests there are a variety of other attractions including riverside walks and boat trips.