A striking North Bristol landmark, The Arches marks the separation of Gloucester Road from…read moreMontpelier, Cotham and Stokes Croft. It's not striking in the sense that it's beautiful; but it has a grubby magnificence to it - which rather sums up this bit of the city generally. And it stands proudly there, reminding you that this is a railway town; of course, the line running over The Arches is the unique Severn Beach Line. Running from Temple Meads all the way through Easton, Montpelier, Clifton Down and then cruising on through the Avon Valley and along to the Severn Estuary, this line has been rated by Thomas Cook as one of the most scenic rail routes in the whole of Europe. Didn't realise that's what was above you, did you, as you stood under these dingy old arches?! Aside from being part of the fantastic Bristol railway architecture, The Arches are a very useful meeting place. I've so many times been given directions to somewhere that include a reference to The Arches at some point. Basically, get to The Arches and it'll be easy to find your way anywhere from there.

These railway arches have recently been in the local press as a shameful indictment of how the…read morecouncil cares for the city. I think that's a little unfair, truth be told. These arches are iconic. They're often used as a beacon to guide people to places. You'll often hear 'just past the arches' or 'right next to the arches'. And what better way to know where Cheltenham Road turns into Gloucester Road. They are also situated on a cross roads with the main road into Redland/Cotham and the smaller road to Montpelier Railway Station. Yes, you guessed it, on the Arches is a railway track. Which is a shame, it would make an amazing city walk. Oh and there's always some excellent graffiti in and around the arches. Check it out.

Wonderful place to stop and spend some time. Got to see a…read moredemonstration with wool, discussion on different types of wool. Donkeys, horses, goats, falconry and gardens. The demonstration with Talia the eagle owl was delightful and fun. Friendly staff, very educational.

We walked to Mary Arden's Farm from Stratford-upon-Avon. Fair warning: it's a LONG walk. Don't do…read moreit if you're not prepared to walk 5 miles (or about 8 km) there and back. I suppose a bike ride would nice, though. It's along a river through really Englishy countryside with rolling hills and and pebbly roads. Once we got there, it was pretty meh. Admissions is covered in the Shakespeare Five House ticket, but not any of the other types of ticket packages. You just walk around and look at pigs and rooms. We saw some owls and falcons, a dovecove, some pigs, an old oven, old bedrooms with small beds.... It's not really educational - there wasn't much to learn about Shakespeare or Mary Arden. I didn't think they made much of an effort to make it tourist friendly either. It wasn't really worth it but still mildly interesting. I recommend saving some money and just purchasing the Four House ticket and forgo this house.

Ludlow Castle is in the heart of the charming town of the same name and is a large, interesting…read morecomplex. The castle was originally established in the late 11th century and includes a huge area is enclosed by a large wall with some later 16th and 19th century additions on either side of the gate, housing gift shop, visitor centre, and restaurant. The main structures are around the smaller inner bailey, with an unusual round chapel, judges' lodgings, kitchen, and other rooms from various periods. Many interesting details remain throughout, making this a fascinating place to explore. There are nice views of the Ludlow area from atop the remaining structures. It has an interesting history as a key fortress on the border of Wales.

Lovely day out in the town of Ludlow. The castle is well worth the visit. History at its best…read more Looks like in summer they have all sorts of activities for the children too. Worth strolling along the river and the town.

This could be a really tranquil, enjoyable respite for the shoppers of Redditch; It has a relaxing…read morefountain and walkway full of well kept flowers and garden. There are also some great market stalls, which are set up nearly everyday to sell local and organic produce. But unfortunately, it seems that some of the locals don't appreciate the area, and many would rather sit there drinking out of bottles of stella and white lightening. It's quite a shame really, because I'm sure there's many other people who would enjoy this spacious area. There isn't really much else in in the town centre; most shops have shut down, and the town is very depressing and dull to look at. Mercian Square should also be respected much more for a different reason; since the square has seen tributes being paid to the Mercian regiment by fellow soldiers. Prior to this, the square was just called Market Place.

This is a free museum that is situated on the main island in Alcester…read more It tells you all about the Roman history of Alcester and tries to give you a feel of how Alcester used to be, with artefacts that have been found in the local area and maps that you can change between modern time and Roman time. This means you get a real image of how much (or little) the local landscape has actually changed. The museum itself is really well lit and quite state of the art, with a spoken commentary that takes you around the different exhibits, from a Roman dig to a Roman market. If you really get into the spirit of the visit then you can borrow a toga, and where it as you walk around, which will always make the little ones smile. Sometimes there are visits from 'Roman Soldiers' and 'Roman Doctors' that will tell you all about what it was like to be one, the conditions etc., and this really does make it more enjoyable and amusing for children. The museum is completely free and is run by volunteers, with there always being two on duty who are more than happy to walk around with you, explain things and answer any questions you may have. There is a little shop here that sells a variety of things from plastic helmets and swords for children to books about the Roman era. There are two disabled parking spaces outside the museum and a few other spaces, but there is plenty of free parking in Alcester so at worst you will be a five minute walk away. Well worth a visit, and as all they ask of you is a donation then it is not going to cost you a fortune to entertain your children.

This is a small, but well designed purpose build museum about Roman Alcester. Ideal for children,…read moreit shows history in an interesting and easy to understand way that should capture their attention. The staff were very friendly, and chatted to us as we went in. I suspect they are volunteers. There is a mock up of an archaeological dig, and lots of evidence of the Roman town. Oh, and the best bit - it's free!

Visited the centre for a talk on 22.5.13. This is an amazing…read morebuilding. Outside the architecture is strange, but gorgeous, it has a gold roof which is shaped like a bee hive. Inside is a fab building which I can only image our new Library of Birmingham will be like. I have never seen so many computers in use in one place, the building is light airy, there is a wide choice of books and reference area. I went for a meeting and this is in a large room with a nice view of worcester.

This is one of the country's longest established preserved steam railways, operating along the…read morescenic Severn Valley 16 miles from Kidderminster to the market town of Bridgnorth. Opened in 1862 to link the line from Worcester to Droitwich Spa to Shrewsbury, the line never really fulfilled its early promise, and the section north of Bewdley was closed to passengers in 1963. The short spur from Kidderminster to Bewdley limped on until 1970, when it too was closed. In the meantime, preservationists had decided to reopen the line from the Bridgnorth end, and in 1970 trains began running again from Bridgnorth to Hampton Loade, extending to Bewdley in 1974 and Kidderminster in 1984. The terminus at Kidderminster (known as Kidderminster Town) is adjacent to the main line railway station and, despite its Victorian appearance, is in fact modern, opened in 1984. A number of the stations have yards and sheds for stabling locomotives and carriages; the line is operated mostly by steam trains using former Great Western Railway stock, but there is a good collection of LMS and LNER stock as well. The line also has a growing collection of preserved diesels from the 1950s and 1960s, and operates special diesel galas as well as the regular steam service. The line makes for a great day out, especially for families, and many of the intermediate stations are situated in lovely countryside and are good starting points for walks.

The Severn Valley Railway is a fully working, old fashioned steam railway that runs through the…read morestunning countryside between Bridgnorth & Kidderminster. The trains are divided into Standard seats or First Class comparments, the First Class comparments are ideal for a family trip & wonderful for those with children as it give them the freedom to move about & look out of the windows. The stations along the route are all beautifully maintained in period fashion: it's possible to stop off at the stations & visit the nearby towns as desired or to stay on the train to the end of the route.

This is a spectacular ruin with lovely gardens. Once owned by the Earls of Dudley and more than one…read moreoccasion hosted royal visits. The original Jacobean house still exists but well hidden within the additions of latter centuries. The fountains in the gardens are huge. If particular interest is the adjoining baroque church with a crypt where the lead coffins can be viewed.