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An Introduction to West Midlands

The West Midlands consists of Birmingham, Coventry, & “The Black Country”(Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton), The West Midlands is the UK's manufacturing heartland. However, the largest part of the region's land space is rural with attractive countryside, market towns and picturesque villages - and a world class food and drink industry.

Birmingham: A city that oozes style, culture and charm. Vibrant and cosmopolitan visitors will discover everything they want in a city: scintillating shopping, the £500 million Bullring development and iconic Selfridges building has confirmed Birmingham’s reputation as the regional shopping capital. A World class culture, staging more national and international sporting championships, the UK’s finest concert venue- Symphony Hall and the most popular exhibition centre in Europe –The NEC.

First mentioned in the Domesday book as being worth 20 shillings, Birmingham was just a small settlement in the early Middle Ages the city has progressively evolved into one of the biggest cities in Europe, an area of 80 square miles, with a million people benefiting from the diversity and vibrancy of the communities that make Birmingham what it is today.

Particular attractions are: Bull Ring Shopping Centre,  National Exhibition Centre, Brindley Place, Balti Triangle, The Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Cadbury World, Thinktank-Birmingham's Museum of Science and Discovery, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery and National Sea Life Centre 

Coventry: Over 300,000 people live and work in Coventry. There are an abundance of projects that are benefiting from multi-million pound investments plus two universities that cater for students from home and abroad.

Known as “Godiva’s town” because of the conection with Lady Godiva, who was reputed to have ridden naked through the city.  It is said that Godiva made her famous naked horse ride as a bargain with her husband to free the people of Coventry from the heavy tax burden he had imposed on them. A striking statue of Godiva stands in the city’s central square, Broadgate. Sculpted by William Reid-Dick, it was unveiled in 1949 and is one of the few equestrian statues outside London to be listed (Grade II).

There are two new shopping developments, restaurants, are investing in our museums, parks and sports facilities and with plans in motion for a new stadium combining an exhibition and leisure centre in the north of the city.