The castle is lovely and grounds are absolutely stunning. Although the structure and landscaping…read moreare lovely, our tour guide felt the need to weave her strong political views into most topics. Examples would be regarding a pitcher/jug that is displayed in one of the glass cases. She said the pitcher "should not be here" and if she had her way "it would be returned" because it was "stolen from a masque." She also said when referring to Dr. Edward Jenner being the first to develop a successful vaccination for small pox that "it really is a question if he were the first." She said he barely beat Africa and Turkey in this world altering vaccine. To which doctors to whom was she referring to in Africa or Turkey? She made a comment of, " My grandfather always said, 'Whatever horrible acts done have been done have been done by the English first.' and I firmly believe this." She was also railing against the decisions of the monarchs before the addition of the parliament. Then she went on to say she wished she could get rid of the current government. A guide should concentrate on the facts and remove biases. It is quite distracting and unnecessary.

What can you say about one of the oldest inhabited castles in the world which is still owned by the…read moresame family from 900 years ago. You have to go. Its where Edward II was murdered with a red hot poker up his fundament .

My wife and I went to Coughton Court today for a nice day trip. Although a lot smaller than most…read moreNational Trust properties it was still very enjoyable. The National Trust recently acquired this property and the family still live in the property and on the grounds. The highlight for me was walking around the many rooms in the house, it seemed a lot more relaxed than other National Trust properties where you can sit down and touch anything. In the main room, you could sit in front of the fire (which was nice as it was freezing!) A random point... They had the weirdest sheep? That we've ever seen in the field... I went to investigate what exactly these animals were and they chased me off!

My husband and I visited this National Trust site today, on mother's day. There were a lot of…read morepeople there, but not too many to where it was unpleasant. I think not that many people know about this place. We now have our National Trust membership, so we easily walked through the entrance and we're given tickets to view the house by a lovely lady and a map of the grounds. As you walk in, there is a full restaurant, used book shop, gift shop, Toilets, and an area to buy some plants. Just past that are the gardens (which were closed this time of year) and the entrance to the house. Everyone working there as a volunteer was very kind and knowledgeable. Each one smiled or greeted us as we walked into each room. It only took us about 45 minutes to get through everything, but we are not the type of read everything as we go along. Then we walked to visit the two churches. One church was open and nice inside. Although the other was closed, there was a picturesque graveyard behind it. We also visited the sheep... or whatever type of animal it was. Haha. Afterwards we enjoyed a nice cream tea for only £3.50 in their full restaurant. We really enjoyed that and it was of great value. It seemed they offered numerous meal options and everyone eating seemed to be enjoying themselves. We also bought some mead and postcards from the gift shop. There were numerous unique items in there, including an ice cream container for those people who just have to have it everywhere they go. ;) I bought two used hardcover books from the book shop for £2.50 each. Their book selection was organised very well with many good options. We also noticed some beautiful rose bush options for sale, along with some herbs and flowers. All in all we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and would recommend this place for a nice half day trip out in the Midlands!

Ok, if you are looking for the place where Anne Hathaway grew up, well, you are pretty much in the…read morewrong place, unless the Anne Hathaway you are looking for happens to be the wife of William Shakespeare, then you are in the right place. So, when you get a ticket to the Shakespeare house, you also get admission to this place as well. The thing is that it is a bit of a hike out of town, but it is pretty cool, especially considering that it is a tudor farmhouse.

I truly wish I could relay how beautiful this cottage is, however before I could even get up the…read moreramp, a most unfortunately assertive individual took it upon herself to run out and greet me with a welcome that only the truly emotionally inept could muster. Apparently my name is "you can't take cases in here", repeated twice in quick succession just on the off-chance I did not hear her on the first flat out rude and blustering attempt. As I looked down at my case, a carry-on size pulley, I thought to myself, c'est la vie, the rules are the rules after all. However, in Shakespeare's land, one might have hoped for just a pinch of emotional intelligence in how to verbally greet a guest about to fork out £23 to see an attraction after they'd already paid £10 in a taxi to get there and per chance deliver the blow with a degree more eloquence? Madam, whoever you are, the service industry requires training of which you are clearly woefully lacking. That, or you are yet another of those odious cretins who relishes in unleashing their one minute of power assertion over... a prospective customer? Bravo! Shakespeare wouldn't bother turning in his grave over this, he wrote of plenty an ass and a fool in his time.

The ancestral home of John Harvard, founder of America's most famous University - HARVARD! Actually…read morethis was his mother's home, built in 1596 it is a fine example of an Elizabethan town house. Harvard House is the home of the Museum of British Pewter. The Museum houses an extensive Neish Collection which illustrates the history of two thousand years of British pewter.The collection includes some rare and unique pieces including Roman items and medieval pilgrim badges. This is an interesting place and well maintained. A fun and educational place for kids.

The Harvard House spreads its exhibits over the three floors of the old building and seems to be…read moreaimed more at children or teenagers. It has several hands-on interactive exhibits and little note cards telling of customs of the olden days. It's quite interesting, but nothing much to rave about. It's part of the three-houses ticket of the Shakespeare houses, so if you're going to see the birthplace, you might as well check this one out too. I'm not sure if it's worth it in its own though.

My wife and I have attended mnay performances of Shakespear's work, both in actual theathers and…read moreoutdoors "in the park". So, when we got a chance to visit his birthplace in Stratford-Upon-Avon, we jumped at the chance. Our tour guide was excellent and shared many details of what it was like living in this house in William's time (e.g. the boys shared one room and the girls were in another - and the boy's room was more comfortable because - in those days - the boys were more valuable. It was fascinating walking through the house where Shakespear actually lived and grew up. The day we were there, there were actors in the courtyard performing snippets of Shakespear's plays and writings. The one actor asked members of the audience to call out their favorite and he would then perform something from that particular play. Fascinating visit and tour.

Okay, it's a house, but then again back in Shakespeare's days, they really didn't have hospitals in…read morethe way that we have hospitals. Mind you, wandering through this house makes you realise how wealthy Shakespeare's family actually was. It's a pretty big house, and quite interesting to explore as well. Yeah, it's pretty cool.

The Tree Cathedral is another hidden gem of Milton Keynes. I walked in the area back in March when…read morethe trees were all bare but even then it looked insanely cool. I've looked up photos of the tree cathedral in full bloom and it's just beautiful. Constructed in 1986 to look like Norwich Cathedral, I'm sure it's a great spot for small ceremonies. It's divided into various sections all meticulously planned which you can read about on the plaque right in front of the cathedral. It has a nice stone path down the center for easy navigation. Upon reading a bit more on the Tree Cathedral when I got home - you can now scatter ashes there. Peaceful and creepy at the same time. The Tree Cathedral can be found opposite of Willen Lake.

I didn't expect discovering Rock of Gibraltar is owned by the British Peeps! Who knew? I surely…read moredidn't know this fact . . . I was also surprised learning that Spain wants the Rock returned to them, too. Visiting here was astonishing because Spain is right outside, but peeps living on the Rock-everyone uses British currency. Everyone in McDonald's spoke with a British accent! http://gibraltar.costasur.com/ http://www.gibnet.com/tourist/basics.htm http://www.gibnet.com/tourist/general.htm http://www.andalucia.com/gibraltar/home.htm

The rock of Gibraltar is indeed something very, very special. Just the thought of all sailors that…read morefor thousands of years that have shared this grand view is breathtaking. Lord Nelson, Marco Polo, Vasco da Gama are just a few that have passed this mighty rock. The view from the top of the Rock is just as breathtaking as its history. If possible - wait for clear skies before going to the top. It is worth it. Clear days it is possible to see far along the Spanish coast and across the sea to Africa. And - beware of the apes. No kidding. Already when docking at the top they may enter the cabin in search for food. According to the guards they are calmer and nicer in the morning than in the hot afternoon.

I have a soft spot for Anthony Gormley's work, so much so I was even one of the lucky ones that…read morestood on the 4th Plinth in London. The statue represents the traditional skills of Birmingham and the Black Country practised during the Industrial Revolution. The controversy of public opinion when it was installed makes me further believe that it really does represent the Brummie and Yam-Yams naysaying nature. I can't really recall why it was so hated back in 1993 when it was given as gift from the Trustee Savings Bank, but when they moved down south there was an outcry that the Iron: Man should be moved with them. I love that it started out as an untitled work until the Iron Man nickname stuck, only for the artist to insist on making his own stamp by insisting on a stupid colon in the middle. Brilliant! Maybe my soft spot for Gormely is because he utilises many local resources to make his large scale iron works with the Iron:Man being cast at Bradley and Fosters Castings (now Firth Rixson Castings) in Willenhall. Whether you love or hate it this 6m tall, leaning man whose feet are sunk in the ground is worth a look.

The most overlooked art in victoria square. I love this art by one of my favourite artist/sculptor.read more

You know those amazingly warm and sunny weekends? Well we don't get them too often and when they…read morehappen I get the urge to do something quintessentially English. So last one day recently saw a much needed drive out of Brum and into the countryside. I'm not a National Trust member but I am starting to wonder why? Our visit to Packwood House was fantastic. You can go into the house and even have a tour but we wanted to experience the gardens, herbaceous borders and huge yew topiaries up close. The house is originally 16th century and features several gorgeous blue and gold sun dials - so check your watch against them and see which are still set to GMT. The gardens are beautiful and kept in stunning condition. Mostly they are comprised of some very distinct and large yew topiaries. The highlight has to be walking up the helter skelter style border to reach the top of The Mound which is adorned with a large yew tree. From there you can take in the views, enjoy the cool shade and benefit from some much needed peace. The rest of the gardens are a mix of wild and wonderful plants and the look must change considerably throughout the year. Don't miss out on walking around the back of the house to catch the very unique sun dial monument. A great day out even if you are not a National Trust member - stunning!

Packwood is another National Trust property right on the doorstep and one that makes me so glad…read morethat we got membership for a Chrismas present. The gardens are the usual lovely mixture of more formal with some stunning yew trees to admire, plus the broader park land. The formal area is very children friendly and there's a lovely little raised mound right at the back that's lots of fun to run up. The pak land has a great walk and there's a large pond/small lake with ducks. It's a good place to explore and there's the usual wooded area to wander around too. The National Trust is so much better at welcoming families and Packwood now has so much more to offer children such as outdoor games and family activities during holidays. Picnics are welcome too. There isn't a cafe or restaurant although you can get coffee and snacks from the reception area. The toilets are in the car park.

Long country walk to the shell of a mansion. Good audi tour…read moreas you wander around the ruin, and then they turn the fountain on which is spectacular. Finish it off with tea and cake as the church tea rooms The Perfect Sunday afternoon