English Midlands

The Midlands, in the heart of England, is not your typical quaint, tourist-pulling region. Apart from a couple of big attractions - Warwick Castle and Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of Shakespeare - the area is off the usual tourist itinerary. This means crowd-free areas in summer and an opportunity to experience a genuine part of the country free from the tourist-glitz. Northamptonshire personifies this deliciously quiet area with historic towns, thatched cottages and winding country lanes all begging to be explored. The Peak District is a gem with wild, haunting scenery, limestone caves to explore and historic sites. The district is ...

The Midlands, in the heart of England, is not your typical quaint, tourist-pulling region. Apart from a couple of big attractions - Warwick Castle and Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of Shakespeare - the area is off the usual tourist itinerary. This means crowd-free areas in summer and an opportunity to experience a genuine part of the country free from the tourist-glitz. Northamptonshire personifies this deliciously quiet area with historic towns, thatched cottages and winding country lanes all begging to be explored. The Peak District is a gem with wild, haunting scenery, limestone caves to explore and historic sites. The district is criss-crossed with walking trails, including the 250-mile Pennine way which ends in Scotland. Blighted by their industrial history, WWII bombs and abysmal town planning, many of The Midland's urban centers have received a bad rap, but this is changing rapidly and the energy in these cosmopolitan dynamos is palpable. Cities like Birmingham, Leicester and Nottingham have reinvented themselves and now offer some of the best shopping and hedonistic, cutting-edge nightlife in the country.

About the Expert

Alan Murphy is coauthor of Lonely Planet's Britain, Scotland, India and North India. He has been writing and updating travel guidebooks for the past eight years.