Beyond the cities, there are beautiful places to explore in the Midlands.There are beautiful places to explore outside the major cities in the Midlands.
Birmingham, Nottingham and Warwick Castle have all been the star of the Midlands, but often the best moments here occur in villages and landscapes most visitors will never get to see. If you’ve exhausted the obvious places and are looking for something more subdued, here are some places to try.
## Villages That Feel Undiscovered
### Clun, Shropshire
Small market town on the Welsh border with ruined Norman castle and hardly any tourist facilities. Poet A.E. Housman described it as one of “the quietest places under the sun”—and it was, and it is.
### Ashbourne, Derbyshire
The southern entrance to the Peak District with its boutique shops and the Royal Shrovetide Football match, a centuries old local tradition which nobody outside can have heard of.
### Eyam, Derbyshire
The “plague village” (which was a voluntary quarantine by residents in 1665-66 to halt the spread of the Black Death, and in the process many members of the village lost their lives). The village museum has such a story to tell: one of England’s most remarkable stories of collective sacrifice, and few tourists make the detour to hear it.
The landscape beyond the Peak District crowds are widely varied.The landscape outside of the Peak District crowds is very diverse.
### Cannock Chase
A glider’s paradise, an AONB in Staffordshire with only a tiny proportion of visitors compared to the much-larger Peak District, but features an abundance of woodland, wild deer herds and mountain biking trails fit for all.
### The Roaches
A dramatic ridge of gritstone on the west side of the Peak District, much used by rock climbers but little visited by the general tourist. Across Staffordshire and Cheshire the views are every bit as good as anywhere else in the busy parts of the national park.
### Carsington Water
Just as smaller and quieter than Rutland Water, it has a comparable character of cycling paths, birdwatching hides and walks along the lake shore, but without the crowds.
## Overlooked Historic Sites
### Kedleston Hall
Very close to Derby, a neoclassical stately home, not visited as much as Chatsworth. The Marble Hall is alone a worthwhile visit.
### Bolsover Castle
An elaborate fantasy castle, with its interiors and terraced gardens overlooking the Derbyshire countryside, designed more for show than defense, and constructed in the 17th century. Smoother and quieter than Warwick or Kenilworth at all times.
### Croome Court, Worcestershire
It was England’s first landscaped park, designed by Capability Brown, before he gained fame for his designs elsewhere. The house and grounds is a no hassle, no stress day out.
## Underrated Towns
### Ludlow, Shropshire
Frequently cited by food critics as one of England’s best small town dining scenes, without tourist numbers like Stratford-upon-Avon, it’s surrounded by a well-preserved medieval castle and half-timbered streets.
### Much Wenlock
This is a Shropshire market town that has earned the credit to be the direct inspiration for the modern Olympic Games due to a local doctor’s 19th-century “Wenlock Olympian Games”. Few people noticed, very small and very cute.
How to incorporate these into your lessons.
### If You Have a Weekend
Match one village (Eyam or Clun) to one landscape stop (The Roaches or Cannock Chase).
### If You Have a Week
Construct and walk the loop: Ludlow, Much Wenlock, Ironbridge (if you wish a larger site), Eyam, Bolsover Castle, Kedleston Hall.
### Getting Around
Most of these places are inaccessible with public transport and connections are at least long — it is not a remote place where you can get to by car, as that might be in larger cities.
## Final Word
The hidden gems of the Midlands are just that—they’re hidden. You will acquire two of these at one major castle or city stop, and be able to return to your feed with stories no one else is selling.