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Discover the Midlands

Overview

The Midlands is a great place to discover and has lots of fantastic visits to explore.  This itinerary will help you understand in particular the impact of the industrial revolution on the city of Birmingham and how it has shaped it today. With visits such as Sarehole Mill and the Black Country Living Museum, you’ll be able to do hands-on activities that will help students understand what life was like.

Spend some time outdoors with visits to the beautiful Botanical Gardens and also Dudley Zoo.  Despite being a large industrial city, Birmingham has some lovely green spaces to be discovered.

You might want to consider combining this with our Midlands Business itinerary or a trip to Stratford – check out these itineraries for some inspiration!

Our Suggested Itinerary

  1. Day 1

    Depart school and travel to the Midlands.

    Visit Sarehole Mill, a 250 year old watermill that is famous for its association with author J R R Tolkien.  Explore the exhibition Signposts to Middle-Earth to discover Tolkien’s link with Sarehole Mill and the surrounding area.

    Then head to Cadbury World to get a fascinating insight into the rich heritage of the nation’s favourite chocolate brand.  Delve into the history of chocolate making and enjoy the 4D Chocolate Adventure cinema experience!

    Arrive and settle into accommodation.

  2. Day 2

    Start your day with a visit to the Botanical Gardens, and explore their unique glasshouses and spectacular gardens for an exciting outdoor learning experience.

    Then visit Birmingham’s Back-to-Backs, the city’s last surviving court of back-to-back houses.  They are well-preserved examples of thousands of similar houses that were built to cope with the rapidly increasing population of industrial towns.

    OR

    Visit Aston Hall, one of the last great houses built in Jacobean style.  Discover the hall’s experience during the English Civil War and how you can still see evidence of this tumultuous time in the house.

    Spend the afternoon at the Thinktank, the award-winning science museum with a fantastic range of exhibits and activities.  You will get a great insight into the industrial heritage of Birmingham.

    Optional evening activity: If you’re staying in Stratford, head to the RSC for a Shakespeare play or if you’re in central Birmingham, hit one of the theatres for an evening show!

  3. Day 3

    Begin the day with a visit to the Black Country Living Museum, a remarkable place to explore.  It is one of the most impressive open-air museums in the UK, and gives you a glimpse of 300 years of history like no other.

    Finally, visit Dudley Zoo and see lots of exciting animals.  Much of the zoo’s work is linked to international conservation and breeding programmes and they house endangered species such as Asiatic lions and Bornean Orangutans.

    Return to School.

School Trip Accommodation

Accommodation

We use safe and secure accommodation especially suited to schools. Our accommodation is usually 2* or youth hostel standard and provides a perfect base for enjoying your tour. All accommodation we use is audited, and our auditing regime is verified by independent experts.