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.

Another Charles II jigsaw piece for the area, as this is another house where he stayed, bed and…read morepriest hole still there to see. The staff/volunteers are really knowledgeable, (My Nanna has had a couple of them to WI meetings to do talks on historical medicine, and I think the other one was food history). The house is well kept, and more to look round than in seems on the outside, and the gardens are lovely, especially with the resident peacocks. They also put on a lot of interesting features- there were children fencing once in blue and red masks (not historical stuff, but good starting points) and they do food-ie bits etc. Lots of nice facts and etymology thrown around too. Nice tea room and gift shop (everyone needs a national trust picnic blanket in their life)

I have been visiting this fantastic National Trust property since I was a small child and have…read moreenjoyed every subsequent visit to this day. This atmospheric Elizabethan farmhouse conceals a priest's hole and hiding places, in one of which Charles II hid after the Battle of Worcester in 1651 and thus has link with Boscobel House nearby where he also hid in an Oak tree. The actual bed on which the royal fugitive slept is also on view. With an excellent guided tour we followed the story of the King's dramatic escape from Cromwell's troops and find out about 17th-century domestic life in this historic home which has been encased in bricks during its long life. The garden has many varieties of plants in keeping with the period and has a striking knot garden following a 17th-century design (see photo) There is a great little gift shop, tea shop, plant sale and second hand book shop to peruse as well.

William Perry was the Tipton Slasher which, thanks to the Two Ronnies, sounds like either a rogue…read moreBlack Country widdler or a yam yam serial killer. In actuality William Perry was a bare knuckle fighter with an impressive record. The statue is in a park next to his pub and base of operations (The Fountain) and just down the road from the Black Country Museum. Its a nice statue to visit and show the kids that the past is everywhere and not just within the nearby museum's walls. The statue has a greater significance for for me, and probably 000s of others, because I am a blood relative, a descendant of this Black Country Rocky Balboa. Its moving to see in statue form a literal representation of the working class fight & celebrity, from a time before that amounted to a stint on X Factor. How his story hasnt become an art house Brit flick starring Daniel Day Lewis, Bob Hoskins and Gary Olman I will never know. Go and have a look at Grandad Slasher next time you are passing, or I will punch yow in the face.

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

As a member of English Heritage, it's nice to take advantage of the variety of properties around…read moreEngland. Boscobel House in Shropshire provides a great afternoon out, and is only 30 miles from Birmingham. This house dates back to the 1600s, and was used to shelter Catholics from religious persecution. There are a number of priest holes inside the hunting lodge. Out back there is a small garden, a dairy barn, and the Royal Oak. This is the famous tree in which King Charles II hid in. There is also a lovely tea room in the stables offering fresh and affordable lunch. There are 2 guided tours each day, 11am and 2pm. Our guide Robin was very knowledgeable and provided an excellent tour throughout the hunting lodge. He even opened up one of the priest-holes to allow our group to try and squeeze in. If you are feeling ambitious, there is a lovely country walk along the farmland to visit a free English Heritage property, White Ladies Priory. Apparently King Charles II hid here as well. If you're looking for something unique and very affordable, give Boscobel House a visit.

I LOVE HISTORY! And…read moreof course this place has a serious bit of relevance to history in the UK. The oak isn't the original oak, but it's a descendant of to, which is a bit of a bummer, but they couldn't do anything about that (and that also means that The Royal Oak pub down the road probably has the best claim to the repetitive name in England!) Good tea rooms and tiny shop- and you can have a tour or go round on your own steam. It's not as extensive as some places around, but they get 5* for letting us go in the priest holes when it was quiet- woohoo!!!

A hidden treasure. I have been there on a few occasions, but went on May Bank holiday. It was a…read more lovely and enjoyable day for the family. There were people dressed and you could take photos, music played on instruments from the past. You could go on a tour of the house. Well delivered by the guides. Just go and take a look. Well worth a visit

Choose a day and visit Harvington Hall, it's not very big but it's worth to take a look. A very…read morenarrow lane, twisting past beautiful cottages brings you to this Elizabethan building. There are free parking spaces on site. You can take a historic tour through the mansion which is impressive. A walk around the building along the moat overhung by trees is beautiful on a sunny day. The scones & tea in the antiquarian tearoom definitely have to be enjoyed afterwards!

Founded in the 13th century by King John, the ruins of Halesowen Abbey are a pleasing reminder of…read morethe area's medieval history. The ruins are now under the stewardship of English Heritage and can be visited on foot free of charge (there is no on-site parking, so it best to ark on a nearby housing estate or on the Black Horse pub car park). They sit in the middle of a large field just off the Halesowen bypass/Manor Way. Not much of the abbey remains, though there is a relatively intact gothic archway to admire. Many of the buildings have been incorporated in the nearby farm. It isn't exactly a "must visit" site, but the abbey is probably worth a gander if you are curious and passing by. As Dr Johnson once declared: "It is worth seeing but not worth going to see."

'What's so landmark and historic about a small, anonymous residential road on the edge of Oldbury?'…read more I hear you ask. Well in the case Apollo Road, what's so special about it is that it's where Kevin Rowland lived in the late 1970s, around the time he formed Dexys Midnight Runners. When I moved to this part of the world, I knew that he had once lived round here and was chuffed to find that the leader of one of my favourite bands had lived just a few minutes stroll from own doorstep. However, anyone expecting blue plaques, guided tours or people dancing round in dungarees will be sorely disappointed. Despite it's significance in local music history, Apollo Road does still remain a small, anonymous residential road on the edge of Oldbury. Only really worth a look if you're a big Dexys fan and want to walk down the road trying to work out which house he lived in, whilst humming 'Geno'. That's what I did anyway, and it made me feel good.

When I visited the Unfinished Church in St. George's at Duke of Kent St., St. George's GE 05 on…read moreJune 27, 2016, a tour guide drove me past the ruins of the uncompleted church building, which people don't have to pay a fee to go look at and look inside through the arches, and informed me of the history. Parishioners thought a new church needed to be built because the old one was falling apart. As St. George built the new church, events happened that showed them that the new church wasn't meant to be used. The parishioners couldn't agree on the inner designs of the church because of theology differences, they had to divert money from the project to rebuilding a church that was torched by arsonists, they still had a use for the Old St. Peter's church: it continued to serve as a Parish church, and a tornado blew the roof off the new church once it was completed. It was interesting to see a building constructed with a different architectural design than I usually see. I couldn't go inside and people still can't go inside today because the St. Peter's Church closed the inside except for an area where scheduled weddings are conducted so they could get the weathered down interior repaired. The site is for tourists, and the inside is for weddings. It doesn't explicitly state a mission, but from the website, it seems as if St. Peter's Church's intention is for the Unfinished Church to serve as a beautiful piece of history for tourists to look at and for people to have church officiated weddings inside. I rated the Unfinished Church in St. George's a three because a visitor can see what a church from a long time ago looks like, but they can pull up pictures of the church on the internet, and they can't learn much from looking inside through the arches and at the outside. I'd probably give it a higher rating if I could visit it once the interior was repaired. My rating is based on how it functions as an educational historical site. It's a good place to visit if a person wants something to do that's good for most ages. St. Peter's Church is the managing entity. The site succeeded in its mission because I saw other people there when I visited, although I didn't get to look inside, so I don't know if it succeeded with its goal as being a place for weddings. http://www.stpeters.bm/UnfinishedChurch http://www.gotobermuda.com/profile/unfinished-church/1147