Warwick
Warwick Castle · Photo: DeFacto
Two very different castles a few miles apart: a full day of towers, shows and dungeons at Warwick, then the vast red ruins of Kenilworth and an afternoon of play and pools at Ryton.
Castle · 10:00–16:00 (6h)
Book ahead; plan around the show times on the day's map.
A big medieval castle run as a full-day attraction, with towers and ramparts to climb, shows, a toddler play area themed on Zog and seasonal events such as a Halloween takeover and Christmas.
Photo: DeFacto
Castle · 10:00–13:00 (3h)
Climb the towers, then lunch at the café.
An indoor and outdoor castle in Kenilworth.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons contributor
Park · 14:00–16:30 (2h30m)
Pirate play area and an easy loop round the pools.
An outdoor park in Coventry.
Photo: Snowmanradio
West MidlandsDudley
A proper Black Country weekend: a day in the rebuilt streets of the living museum and a fossil hunt nearby, then a zoo on a castle hill and a Victorian park with two playgrounds.
Black Country Living Museum → Wren's Nest National Nature Reserve → Dudley Zoo and Castle → Haden Hill Park and Haden Hill House
West MidlandsStratford-upon-Avon
See where Shakespeare was born, take to the river in a rowing boat or a short cruise, then spend the afternoon in the orchards and sculpture trail of Anne Hathaway's thatched cottage.
Shakespeare's Birthplace → Avon Boating → Anne Hathaway's Cottage
West MidlandsTelford
A free day out with paid parking only: historic aircraft and a playground at the RAF Museum, then a walk across the world's first iron bridge in the Ironbridge Gorge.
Royal Air Force Museum Cosford → The Iron Bridge
