Tamworth

Tamworth grew up where the River Tame meets the River Anker, and that meeting point still shapes the town today. The rivers loop around the castle grounds, giving the centre a green, watery edge that's easy to forget sits so close to the M42 and the wider Midlands motorway network. Beyond the town, the land opens into the lakes and reclaimed pits of the surrounding countryside, giving Tamworth a softer, more rural feel than its size might suggest.

Most visitors stay centrally, close to the castle and shops, with options like the Drayton Court Hotel, Liberal House Tamworth and the Globe Inn putting you within walking distance of the river. For a motorway stopover or a family trip timed around Drayton Manor, the Travelodge Tamworth M42, Holiday Inn Express Tamworth and Premier Inn Tamworth Central are all handy bases. Those wanting something quieter can head just outside town to Pool House Farm Pods or Model Farm Luxury Lodges, both set in the countryside that surrounds Tamworth.

Tamworth Castle, overlooking the river from its mound, is the obvious place to start, and the grounds either side of the water make for an easy wander afterwards. Nature and wildlife feature heavily elsewhere too: RSPB Middleton Lakes and Cliff Lakes both make use of former quarry land turned wetland, while Middleton Hall and Gardens and Statfold Country Park offer more of the same green, open-water character a little further out. Families tend to gravitate towards Ash End House Children's Farm and The Big Play Barn, and for something faster-paced there's Daytona Tamworth.

Tamworth works well as a short break built around the water and the wildlife it supports, with the castle as the anchor and the surrounding lakes and country parks giving reason to stay longer than a single afternoon.