Birmingham and Beyond
Explore Birmingham
"A city beating at the heart of the country with a quiet confidence like no other. We 're a hotbed of culture that's rich and diverse."
Located just 2 miles from campus, Bournville is home to Cadbury's World attraction. Visiting will provide a fun filled chocolate day trip to one of the UK's most popular family attractions.
Located 1 mile from campus, Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park is home to a unique collection of animals from across the world, including Red Pandas, lemurs, reptiles, meerkats, otters, birds, wallabies and a large collection of monkeys.
Birmingham Botanical Gardens is the green heart of Birmingham, offering a uniquely biodiverse natural environment. It is one of the UK’s most significant historic Botanic Gardens which has remarkably remained intact since 1829, set on 15 acres of landscaped greenery.
Birmingham City Centre
Taking just one stop from University Station to Birmingham New Street, you will disembark at the newly developed Grand Central station in the very heart of Birmingham. Whilst Grand Central is Birmingham’s newest prime shopping centre, it is also located next to the Bullring, Birmingham’s state of the art shopping centre, backed up with the astounding Selfridges store and Mailbox.
The new spectacular Library of Birmingham is Europe’s largest regional library and is a flagship for the redevelopment of the city.
Victoria and Chamberlain Square bring together the
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, home to some of
the finest art collections in the world, and the magnificent Council House and Town Hall.
Close to Brindley place is also where you will find the National Sea Life Centre Birmingham which hosts the
UK’s only 360° Ocean Tunnel where you can marvel at sharks, a giant turtle, rays and hundreds of tropical fish swimming overhead and underneath as you walk
through the sea in this truly unique experience.
If you are looking for somewhere to eat and drink, try Brindley Place, a 10 minute walk from New Street Station, with tree-lined squares, international cuisine
and canal-side views, Brindley Place is one of Birmingham’s most exciting destinations.
Digbeth is one of the most distinctive parts of the city and is less than ten minutes walk from Bullring & Grand Central. It has been named the 'Coolest Neighbourhood in Britain' by the Sunday Times, hailing the Custard Factory's cafes, independent shops, cinemas and arts venues, whilst celebrating 'the best bar snacks in the postcode' from The Old Crown.
The Ikon Gallery is Birmingham's leading contemporary art gallery. Located in a dramatic Victorian building - formerly a boarding school - Ikon presents a regular programme of exhibitions, events, learning workshops and seminars, representing some of the world's best visual artists.
Still looking for more to do, or places to go, find out more at VisitBirmingham.com
Birmingham City Centre
With an enviably central location in the heart of England, Birmingham offers fantastic opportunities to explore the history and culture of the UK.
A mediaeval market town in England’s West Midlands, Stratford-upon-Avon is the 16th-century birthplace of William Shakespeare, and a must-see for visitors. Immerse yourself in sixteenth-century life, inside the house where the world renowned playwright was born and lived with his family. Visit his wife Anne Hathaway's romantic cottage, or New Place where they enjoyed the benefits of his success for 19 years. And, of course, complete the experience with a play at one of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s three theatres.
Just outside of the city, The Black Country Living Museum is an award-winning open air museum that tells the story of one of the very first industrialised landscapes in Britain. Experience sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of the Black Country as you explore shops, houses and industrial workshops rebuilt in our canal-side village and high streets.
Oxford University is a must-see for any academic visitor to the UK. 38 colleges of the prestigious university are nestled within a city of buttery Cotswold stone and winding mediaeval streets. Visit Magdalen College’s deer park and Christ Church Cathedral. Book a tour of the Bodleian to see Duke Humfrey’s remarkable fifteenth-century library. Take a punt along the Thames (here known as the Isis) for a relaxed view of those famous ‘dreaming spires’, then have a drink at the Eagle and Child where the ‘Inklings’ C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and friends read their manuscripts aloud.
Soak up 1100 years of history in one day. The stone buildings in place at Warwick Castle today date from the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, although records show a motte and bailey castle was first constructed here in 1068. History buffs will love the sense of scale, the thoughtful exhibits and the extensive grounds, landscaped by Capability Brown. The regular programme of live shows featuring jousting, birds of prey and seasonal events provides fun for all.
