What to do Once you Arrive Here

If you do not want to travel far from Fern Cottage, the village itself has several amenities including pubs, restaurants, take-aways (including fish and chips!) and a newsagents.

Here are a few of our suggestions for things you might want to do a little further afield:

Local Attractions

For walkers and nature-lovers, the Lickey Hills are practically on the back doorstep and Birmingham Botanical Gardens is not very far away either. For more exotic wildlife there are also the Sea Life Centre, the Nature Centre and The West Midlands Safari Park.

For art-lovers there are also the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, the Ikon gallery and the Barber Institute of Fine Arts along with a host of smaller galleries.

You can get a taste of the region’s historical past at the Back-to-Backs, The Pen Museum, Black Country Living Museum and the Severn Valley Steam Railway.

If you prefer your entertainment to be more contemporary there are many theatres, pubs, clubs, restaurants and cinemas in and around Birmingham city centre, as well as old favourites including Symphony Hall, the National Exhibition Centre, the National Indoor Arena and the Jewellery Quarter.

Also, don’t forget to take a trip to Bournville for Cadbury World at the chocolate factory!

Regional Attractions

If you’re planning a day-trip, Fern Cottage is within comfortable driving-distance of many towns, cities and areas of natural beauty. We particularly recommend the following:

Stratford-upon-avon

Stratford-upon-avon has many historical buildings, including several relating to the life of playwright William Shakespeare. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust preserves many of these and opens them to the public.

After exploring Shakespeare’s birthplace and Anne Hathaway’s cottage, why not watch a world-class performance at the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Courtyard Theatre.

For families with younger children there is also a butterfly farm.

Stratford-upon-avon is about 40 minutes’ drive from Fern Cottage.

Warwick

Warwick is another historic county town, famous for its castle and racecourse.

Warwick castle hosts many theme and activity days and can get very busy in peak season, so we suggest you take a good look at their website and consider booking your tickets in advance.

Warwick is about 30 minutes’ drive from Fern Cottage.

Oxford

Oxford, also known as “the city of dreaming spires”, is great to just wander around as you explore the fabulous architecture of the city.

Subject to certain restrictions, it is possible to visit parts of Oxford University (the oldest university in the English-speaking world). Families may also be interested in seeking out some of the locations used in the Harry Potter films.

There are several parks and gardens in the city or you can take advantage of some of the many museums:

• The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology
• Pitt Rivers Museum and the Museum of Natural History
• Museum of the History of Science
• Bate Collection of Musical Instruments

Oxford is about a 1 hour and 20 minute drive from Fern Cottage, but we strongly recommend you use the Park and Ride service.

The Malvern Hills

The Malvern Hills is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, famous for its natural mineral springs and wells. Great Malvern, (a town on the edge of the Malvern Hills) was a famous spa town in the early 19th Century. Nowadays you can use one of its many tea-rooms to refuel after a day walking in the hills.

Great Malvern is about 45 minutes’ drive from Fern Cottage.

Theme Parks

For the thrill-seekers amongst you there are Drayton Manor and Alton Towers.

Tolkien Trail

Seasoned Tolkien enthusiasts will probably not need to be told about Birmingham’s rich variety of Tolkien-related locations, but for those who are just starting out we suggest the Tolkien trail which includes The Shire Country Park, Sarehole Mill and the two towers at Ladywood.

You can read more about Fern Cottage’s Tolkien connection here.

There is also an annual Tolkien Event …or of course you could just curl up on the sofa in front of the fire with a copy of The Silmarillion!