Birmingham is the UK’s second city. Home of the multi-million pound Bullring development and the iconic Selfridges building, the city has something for everyone. It’s nearby location to the University and its good transport links, make it a perfect destination for shopping, visiting, and a good night out.

Distance from campus:

Birmingham City Centre - 23 miles
Birmingham International Airport - 14 miles

Entertainment:

Birmingham is home to a vast array of bars, pubs, clubs, restaurants, theatres and art galleries and is a popular destination with our students.

Brindley Place, with its canal-side location and trendy bars and restaurants is particularly popular, as is the Arcadian (near the city's Chinese Quarter). Both are great for a big Friday or Saturday night out and their relaxed and friendly atmosphere make them a great place to spend a sunny afternoon.

Broad Street comes alive at night with nightclubs like Risa and the Works and cheesy alternatives like Reflex. There are also plenty of bars, including LLoyds No.1, Revolution, and the Australian Bar. There are lots of restaurants to choose from catering for all tastes.

But there are plenty of other things to do in Birmingham too...

The National Exhibition Centre is easily reached by a 10-minute train journey from Coventry station to Birmingham International Station. The NEC group put on a wide variety of events throughout the year, from pop concerts to exhibitions, and they also maintain the Symphony Hall in the city centre where world-class music is showcased.

There are also plenty of theatres to attend in Birmingham, including the Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre which is home to the Birmingham Royal Ballet. Birmingham Repertory Theatre and the Alexandra Theatre are also in the heart of the city. Art galleries and museums can also be found in abundance.

The Jewellery Quarter may also be worth a visit if you like anything that glitters - silver, gold or diamonds and the Custard Factory in Digbeth has some interesting outlets and is a den for arts and media types. For a day out, you might want to try the Sea-Life Centre or Cadbury World which is just outside the city centre - a chocolate-lovers heaven. If you are willing to travel even further afield for a day out, you could visit Alton Towers, Drayton Manor or West Midland Safari Park.

Shopping:

Shopping is excellent throughout Birmingham City Centre but the city is now most famous for the Bullring which was reopened in 2003 following a £500 million development. A 15 minute train journey from Coventry station to Birmingham New Street brings you to the door-step of the Bullring which now houses over 140 shops. The futuristic architecture of the Selfridges store is worth a look in itself, even if you don’t want to spend any money.

For more exclusive shopping, the Mailbox in the city centre has over 40 stores, restaurants, cafes and bars.

Historical Interest:

Birmingham has a reputation for being an industrial city, clouded by smog and factory towers - but it is quickly losing this image as people realise that the city has more to offer.

The development of industry has shaped Birmingham's history. In the 16th century the area became popular for metalwork and Birmingham became a market town, but the greatest period of development was in the late 18th and 19th centuries.

Throughout the 19th century a vast number of factories were built in and around Birmingham, bringing thousands of industries to the town. Prominent among these industries was the manufacture of pens, brass, guns, jewellery, and coins.

Access to Birmingham was vastly improved throughout the 18th and 19th centuries linking Birmingham to London with the building of the Grand Union canal in 1790, and laying a railway between these two industrial centres in 1835. Other canals built in the 18th century also link Birmingham to a great many other parts of the country.

In 1838 Birmingham was made a parliamentary borough, and in 1889 it received city status. Birmingham has grown from being a rural town to England’s 2nd city in a short space of time.

Access from University:

By car: Birmingham city centre and Birmingham International Airport can be reached by travelling on the A45 from the University. It takes approximately 20 minutes to drive to the airport, and anything from 30-60 minutes to reach the city centre, depending on the time of day.

By train: Because Coventry Station is on the main-line between London and Birmingham, trains travel between Coventry station and Birmingham International (for the airport and NEC) and Birmingham New Street (city centre) at least twice an hour. The journey takes around 10 minutes to Birmingham International and 15-20 minutes to Birmingham New Street.

Coventry is the nearest city to the University of Warwick and home to many of our students who live off-campus. Famous for its Cathedral, Lady Godiva, and the devastation bought to the city in World War 2, Coventry is an ever-developing city steeped in history.

Distance from campus:

3 miles (to City centre)

Entertainment:

A night out in Coventry is handy and makes a change from visiting the Student Union, particularly for those students who live off-campus. There are a number of pubs, clubs and restaurants with various venues offering special promotions to students of both Warwick and Coventry University. Some of the clubs also feature special 'student nights' - the most popular being Ignite at the Skydome on a Wednesday night.

As well as nightclubs and bars, the Skydome complex also contains a 9-screen cinema and an ice-rink, all of which make Coventry a popular place for students to go out for the evening. The Skydome is easily reached on the bus from central campus and a special bus is provided by the University on a Wednesday night for those who want to go to Ignite.

If you prefer a more cultured night out, the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry offers a mixed programme of comedy, theatre and pantomime as well as conference facilities.

Shopping:

There are a couple of shopping areas in Coventry and a large range of high-street shops including H&M, New Look, TopShop and River Island. The West Orchards indoor shopping precinct houses several major high-street stores including Miss Selfridge, Debenhams, Marks and Spencers and WH Smiths. Just outside of the city centre, opposite the train station and on the main bus-route from the University of Warwick campus, is a retail park known as Central Six, home to a number of larger retail stores, including GAP, Boots, Next and several other clothing stores.

Historical Interest:

One of Coventry’s most famous landmarks is its cathedral. The original cathedral, St Mary’s, was built in the 11th century although very little now remains. The Cathedral of St Michael, Coventry’s second cathedral, was begun in 1373, but was famously destroyed when it was bombed during the Second World War. The cathedral was later re-built and consecrated in 1962. The old and new cathedrals now stand next to each other in the heart of Coventry and are both popular visitor attractions.

By 1334 Coventry was said to be the fifth largest town in England, and the first mayor, John Ward, was elected in 1348. Ranulf Meschines, the Earl of Chester, built Coventry Castle at the end of the 11th century but by the end of the 12th century, the castle had fell into disrepair following years of fighting in the area. No outward signs of the castle remain as it is believed to have been sited in Broadgate, now the city centre.

The town wall and gates were completed by 1538, having been built over the course of almost 200 years. During the 17th century Civil War the people of Coventry sided largely with the Parliamentarians. When Charles II, son of the executed Charles I, came to power under the restoration of the monarchy in 1660 he ordered that Coventry’s walls and fortifications be destroyed. The order was carried out in 1662 and thus all that remains of Coventry’s walls are two gates.

Coventry’s development was steady over the next few hundred years, adopting new industries, such as ribbon weaving and watch making. In 1838 the London to Birmingham railway was opened, passing through Coventry. The line still remains and operates a regular service between England’s major cities.

The city became a centre for the manufacture of bicycles in the latter half of the 19th century and moved on to become one of the major car manufacturers in the United Kingdom, and remains so today. Coventry has been home to around 130 motor manufacturers over time.

The extensive bombing of Coventry during World War 2 has impacted greatly on its history and landmarks, forcing much of the city to be rebuilt in the post-war years.

Access from University:

By car: From central campus the easiest way to drive into Coventry City centre is by heading up the Gibbet Hill Road, then turn left on to the Kenilworth Road which heads straight towards the city centre.

By bus: There are three bus operators that run locally: National Express Coventry, Stagecoach and Travel de Courcey. Information about times can be found on their websites. The journey to into Coventry City Centre takes 20-30 minutes.

• More information on bus services to and from the University of Warwick

Useful Links:
Coventry City Council
icCoventry
CWN
Visit Coventry
Coventry Cathedral
Coventry Airport
BBC Coventry and Warwickshire

The historical town of Kenilworth is the nearest major town to the University of Warwick. Famous for its castle, Kenilworth is a peaceful Warwickshire town and is home to a number of our students, staff and alumni.

Distance from campus:

4 miles (to town centre)

Entertainment:

Kenilworth is a peaceful, historical town that attracts many tourists and visitors. Kenilworth Castle hosts a number of special events throughout the year, including productions of plays, Christmas carol services and other seasonal special events such as the fireworks display on bonfire night.

Near the magnificent castle ruins are the Abbey Fields. The 68 acres of the Abbey Fields inludes a swimming pool (both indoors and outdoors), a lake, children's play area and heritage trails. In 2005, the first Kenilworth Arts Festival took place in Abbey Fields as well as many of the arts venues throughout the town. The Kenilworth Lions Show in Abbey Fields and Kenilworth Round Table's Fireworks at the Castle are great for locals and visitors.

Kenilworth has two small theatres, the self-funding Priory Theatre and Talisman Theatre and plenty of restaurants, bars and pubs.

Shopping:

Kenilworth has a shopping high-street in the centre of town. It has a number of major high-street stores but is smaller than the shopping centres of Coventry and Leamington Spa. There are a variety of restaurants close to Kenilworth Castle and in the centre of town.

Where to stay:

There are various hotels, guesthouses and bed and breakfasts in Kenilworth from the larger hotels such as Chesford Grange Hotel and Demontfort Hotel to the smaller guesthouses such as the Hollyhurst Guest House. Details on all available accommodation can be found on the Kenilworth Town Website

Historical Interest:

Kenilworth is listed in the 1086 Domesday book as “Chinewrde” with a population of less than 100. Within 200 hundred years, the population had vastly increased and the town’s importance mulitplied.

Of the greatest historical interest in Kenilworth is the castle. Built in 1129, Kenilworth Castle was home to many lords and dignitaries, and frequented by several Kings and Queens until it was destroyed in 1649 following the Civil War.

Kenilworth Castle’s most famous residents were Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester and founder of democracy in England, and Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester and favourite of Elizabeth I. It is also thought that Henry Bolingbroke probably spent many of his childhood years in Kenilworth castle.

English Heritage has looked after the castle ruins since 1984, and it is now popular with visitors to the area. Kenilworth itself is pretty town, with attractive buildings and open spaces. Find out more about Kenilworth on the town's website.

Access from University:

By car: Kenilworth is easy to access by a 5 minute drive from central campus. Head up Gibbet Hill Road and take a right-hand turn on to Kenilworth Road.

By bus: The Stagecoach U2, X17 and X16, as well as the National Express Coventry service number 11 travel between campus and Kenilworth Town Centre. Check their websites for more information about service times.

Many of Warwick's students choose to live in the fashionable Royal Leamington Spa while studying at the University. The town is a short drive from the University campus and offers breadth of entertainment, sites of historical interest, and stunning architecture.

Distance from campus:

8 miles

Entertainment:

Royal Leamington Spa is home to a vast number of pubs, bars and restaurants. University of Warwick students also frequently visit the town’s night-clubs, Mirage and Sugar.

The Royal Spa Centre is an entertainments venue with a theatre and cinema, showcasing a variety of music performances, comedy and dance. The Apollo cinema is also a short walk from The Parade, showing most popular movies.

There is also a Megabowl ten-pin bowling centre in the Shires Retail Park just outside the centre of town.

Shopping:

Leamington Spa is where most of our students choose to go shopping. The Parade (Leamington’s high street) has several high street shops and department stores. The side-streets from The Parade feature lots of specialist shops, gift stores, and art shops. The Royal Priors indoor shopping centre also has a number of high street and specialist stores. Leamington also has a number of nice restaurants covering all price ranges.

Historical Interest:

Originally a small village known as Leamington Priors, Leamington Spa became a town around the beginning of the 19th century. In 1784 the saline springs beneath the village were discovered, and the residents began to build baths around these, claiming that they could cure or relieve a number of disorders. The baths quickly became very popular, resulting in the building of The Royal Pump Room and Baths in 1814. The pump rooms, gardens and bandstand still remain today towards the lower end of The Parade. After World War II the Pump Rooms became a medical centre. In 1996 plans to redevelop the Pump Rooms to include Leamington’s library, museum and art gallery, and later a tourist information centre and small café, were put in place. The new refurbished building opened in 1999.

Leamington is also home to a number of grade II listed gardens in the English Heritage Register of Historic Gardens. Now known as the Jephson Gardens, their history dates back to 1832. The gardens are situated opposite the Pump Rooms.

Access from University:

By car: The quickest route to Leamington Spa from campus is to drive up Gibbet Hill Road, straight over the crossroads on to Stoneleigh Road, then a right-turn on to the A46. Take the next junction off the A46 and follow the signs to Leamington. When the roads are clear this journey takes about 15 minutes.

By bus: The Stagecoach Unibus (U1, U2 and U12) and the National Express Coventry number 11 travel between campus and Leamington Spa. The Stagecoach X17 also collects from Leamington Spa, and, while it doesn't come on to central campus, it does drop off near the Gibbet Hill end of campus. Check the company websites for more information about service times.

Useful Links:
Royal Leamington Spa
Royal Pump Rooms

Stratford-upon-Avon is well worth the short journey from the University campus. Birthplace to William Shakespeare, and historic market town, Stratford has a lot to offer everyone.

Distance from campus:

15 miles

Entertainment:

Eating-out is particularly enjoyable in Stratford, and there are many and varied bars and pubs too. A long summer evening can be spent on the banks of the beautiful river Avon and half-an-hours boat hire is always fun.

However, Stratford is famous for theatre and is home to the Royal Shakespeare Company. The RSC owns three theatres in Stratford: The Royal Shakespeare Theatre, The Swan and The Other Place.

Shopping:

Stratford-upon-Avon has a small but good shopping centre in the centre of town, and there are a number of main high-street stores such as H&M, New Look, Next, Marks and Spencers, Dorothy Perkins and Debenhams. Because of the tourist attraction of the town, the shopping centre also contains a large number of gift shops. If you are lucky, you will also catch the regular market in the town.

Historical Interest:

Stratford-upon-Avon is one of the UK’s most popular tourist towns and place of historical interest thanks to its association with playwright William Shakespeare.

William Shakespeare was born in a house on Henley Street in Straford-upon-Avon in 1564. As a boy he attended the Stratford Grammar School, and later married Anne Hathaway, a local woman. He later fled to London to pursue a career as an actor, theatre-owner and playwright. He returned to Stratford in his latter years where he died at the age of 52 and was buried in the Holy Trinity Church.

There are many remaining historic buildings associated with William Shakespeare in and around Stratford-upon-Avon. Shakespeare's Birthplace on Henley Street is now open to the public, accompanied by an exhibition of his life.

New Place is the house where Shakespeare lived until his death in 1616. Although the house no longer exists, the foundations and grounds may be visited accompanied by period furnishings and an exhibition in Nash’s House.

Anne Hathaway’s Cottage is another popular attraction, containing some of the furniture that belonged to the Hathaway family.

You can also visit Mary Arden's Farm, the house of Shakespeare’s mother, which is just outside of Stratford. It is home to a Shakespeare museum and other historic items from the 16th century onwards.

You can purchase tickets to visit each of the places associated with Shakespeare through the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

Finally, the Holy Trinity Church may also be visited today, containing a monument to William Shakespeare.

Stratford is of historic interest in its own right, being home to splendid architecture from across the centuries, and containing some of the most beautiful gardens in Warwickshire. Stratford-upon-Avon was originally a medieval market-town, so it’s history dates back much further than the birth of Shakespeare.

Access from University:

By car: Stratford-upon-Avon may be reached by a short journey up the A46 from the University. Stratford is well sign-posted along the main roads and the journey takes around 25 minutes.

By bus: The Stagecoach X16 travels between campus and Stratford-upon-Avon. Check the Stagecoach website for more information about service times.

By train: Trains travel from Leamington Spa station to Stratford-upon-Avon station approximately every 1-2 hours. The journey takes 25-30 minutes.

Useful Links:
Royal Shakespeare Company
Shakespeare Country
Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

Warwick sits on the banks of the River Avon and is a pretty, historic town with plenty of visitors’ attractions. Warwick Castle, which has played a crucial role in 1000 years of British history, overlooks the town.

Distance from campus:

8.4 miles

Entertainment:

Warwick Castle holds a number of themed events and festivals throughout the year, and also hosts special ticketed events such as Warwick Ghosts where you can experience the re-enactment of the death of Sir Fulke Greville who is said to haunt the castle grounds.

Warwick Racecourse has a year-round programme of flat and steeple chase races. Visit their website for the dates of race meetings and other special events.

There are also a number of pubs, bars and restaurants in Warwick that are worth a look. More information can be found on Visit Warwick.

Shopping:

Shopping in Warwick is particularly good for gifts and specialist items such as art and antiques. Warwick has some very good restaurants, cafes and tea-rooms.

Historical Interest:

Ethelfleda, daughter of Alfred the Great, founded Warwick town in the 10th century AD. Its location on a hill by the river Avon made it a perfect site for defence against Danish invaders in 914.

In 1068 William the Conqueror ordered the building of a timber motte and bailey fort on the site of the town in order to secure the area against potential uprisings following his success at the battle of Hastings in 1066. Henry de Beaumont became the castle’s first inhabitant.

In the 12th century the timber frame of the motte and bailey fort was replaced with stone structures, forming areas of the castle that remain today. An extensive reconstruction and rebuilding of the castle was carried out by the successive generations of de Beauchamps who lived in the castle from 1268 to the 1440s.

The castle has undergone periods of dilapidation and restoration at the hands of its numerous owners. Charles Guy, the 7th Greville Earl who owned the castle from the 1920s, even built a cinema on the roof of the castle. It is still there today.

In 1978 the castle was sold to The Tussauds Group, who have since restored areas of the castle and opened much of it to the public.

Although many original buildings remain in the town, such as the 14th and 15th century Lord Leycester hospital buildings, a Great Fire in 1694 destroyed many of the buildings on its central streets. The streets and surrounding buildings were rebuilt soon after the fire, giving Warwick the spectacular architecture of the 18th century that remains today.

While a visit to the castle cannot be missed, the opportunity should also be taken simply to wander around Warwick’s streets and observe the stunning architecture that covers almost 1000 years of English history.

Access from University:

By car: The quickest way to Warwick from the University is to take Gibbet Hill Road, straight on to Stoneleigh Road, then right on to the A46. The A46 takes you directly to Warwick, and the journey takes about 15-20 minutes.

By bus: The Stagecoach X16 service travels between campus and Warwick. The Stagecoach X17 doesn't come on to campus, but stops near the Gibbet Hill end of the University, and also collects from some locations in Warwick. Check the Stagecoach website for more information about service times.

By train: Trains run from Leamington Spa station to Warwick station frequently throughout the hour. The journey takes around 5 minutes. Warwick station is within walking distance of the town centre and castle.

Useful links:
Warwick Castle
Warwick Racecourse
Warwick District Council
Warwick Town Council
Warwick Online