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.”

Bournville

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.

Photo of Edgbaston Wildlife Conservation Park building

Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park

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 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.

Victoria and Chamberlain Square

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.

Photo of Victoria and Chamberlain Square

Library of Birmingham

The new spectacular Library of Birmingham is Europe’s

largest regional library and is a flagship for the redevelopment of the city..

Brindley Place

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.

Sea Life Centre

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.

Digbeth

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.

Black Country Museum

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.

Still looking for more to do, or places to go, find more at visitBirmingham.com

Places of interest outside of Birmingham

With an enviably central location in the heart of England, Birmingham offers fantastic opportunities to explore the history and culture of the UK.

Stratford-Upon-Avon

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.

Photo of a Stratford-Upon-Avon cottage

Warwick Castle

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, land scaped by Capability Brown. The regular programme of live shows featuring jousting, birds of prey and seasonal events provides fun for all.

Oxford

This historic university city 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.

Photo of a University of Oxford building