A lot of visitors to the UK spend a few days in London and then head out into the countryside in search of thatched cottages, or Shakespeare, or hill walking. All very good experiences, but don't overlook the interesting cosmopolitan urban experiences within a relatively short train journey from London.
Surprising Birmingham
I have to admit, I'm only a recent convert to Birmingham as a visitor destination. I first visited the place in the 1980s, on business trips. In those days, the entire downtown area was dominated by a 1960s monstrosity of roads and shops, a lethal and confusing ring of buildings and roads, known as the Bull Ring. It was shabby, soot colored with automobile pollution and impossible to navigate on foot.
All that was torn down and replaced in 2003. The result is a city centre that is easy to walk and enjoy, with some wonderful museums, interesting market, ethnic foods, and great shopping. A recent visit to Birmingham was a revelation to me and completely won me over.
An Easy and Different Day Trip
Getting to Birmingham is easy and cheap. Trains from London's Marylebone Station to either Birmingham Moor Street (next to the city's amazing, futuristic Selfridges) or Birmingham Snow Hill take under two hours and run throughout the day. The best fares available, if you can book a few weeks in advance, were as low as £12.50 round trip in February 2012 (for two one-way tickets bought separately rather than a roundtrip, or return, ticket). To find the best fares and buy tickets, visit National Rail Enquiries and use that site's easy to use search widget. I was able to find cheap tickets returning to London throughout the afternoon and evening and as late as about 9:45 p.m. So you can make a nice long day of it - or get back to London in time for a meal or a show in the capital. Here, and on the next two pages, read about three easy itineraries for a day trip to Birmingham.
Itinerary Number One - A Golden Day in Birmingham
- If all that glitters lights your fire, you won't want to miss a visit to BMAG, the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, current home of the Staffordshire Hoard - the largest find of Anglo Saxon gold ever unearthed. The finder, a metal detectorist, and the landowner on whose property the hoard was discovered, recently shared a payout of £3.285 million, when the gold was purchased for the nation. While funds are being raised for a special exhibit to house and explain the 1,500 gold and jewelled objects, highlights of the 1,000 year old collection are now on display.
- After you've had a look around - taking in some of the Pre-Raphaelite paintings as well - stop for lunch in BMAG's Edwardian Cafe.
- After lunch, ask a local to point you in the direction of Snow Hill Station, about five minutes away, and catch the Metro to the Jewellery Quarter Station. It takes about 3 minutes and costs around £1.50.
- Make your way to the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, just up Vyse Street, from the Metro Station. There you'll see the fascinating story of jewellery making and metalworking in the district, set against the backdrop of a former jewellery manufacturing business.
Find out more about the Jewellery Quarter
- The Chamberlain Clock Tower, at the intersection of Vyse Street and Warstone Lane, is considered the center of the Jewellery Quarter. From there, stretching out along all the streets you can see, are dozens and dozens of small, independent jewellery shops. In all, Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter has 100 jewellery shops and 200 listed historic buildings. You can buy jewellery for a fraction of what it might cost in London, have pieces made to order or custom designed at remarkably reasonable prices and see the work of up and coming new designers and artisans.
- Celebrate a successful shopping trip with a drink or a meal in one of the local restaurants and pubs. The Jewellery Quarter has 30 eateries listed in its directories of Pubs and Restaurants.
- A £5 taxi ride will deliver you back to your train station in the center of Birmingham for connections back to London or wherever you are heading next.
