Long pigeon-holed as a centre of industry, Birmingham is a vibrant centre of arts and literature, shopping and socialising, a mix of the old and the new.

From tree houses to trailers, roulottes to railway carriages, these unusual escapes offer a chance to abandon bricks and mortar without sacrificing style or comfort.

The Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon will this month open its doors for a different sort of show – an exhibition dedicated to costumes.

Take time to seek out the secrets of Nottinghamshire from its ice age mysteries to its little known Gothic masterpiece and you are in for a treat

Book your tickets now for a wonderful weekend of song and celebration in one of England’s prettiest small towns

Cocooned by Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, the UK’s smallest county

You don’t have to be religious to believe that Britain’s cathedrals are the country’s greatest buildings, from the great medieval cathedrals to the Baroque brilliance of St Paul’s

If there is any English city that belies its charming but modest appearance, it’s Derby, on the banks of the River Derwent, south of the soaring Peak District. Plan a short break in the city…

Boasting a wealth of ancient buildings and monuments that have borne witness to defining moments in British history, Gloucester is truly a great English cathedral

Have you ever wonderedwhere we get everyday expressions such as ‘an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth’ or ‘how are the mighty fallen’ from?