The West
Midlands is located in western central England. The county has a
population of approaching 3 million people and has a total area of 348 square
miles. The West Midlands are approximately 117 miles from central London.
The county
consists of seven metropolitan boroughs and is one of the most heavily
urbanised in the UK.
The boroughs are: the City of Birmingham, the
City of Coventry, the City of Wolverhampton,
Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, and Walsall.
The county
is home to, among others, Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion football teams.
Birmingham
is known as the original home of Cadbury’s chocolate. Brothers George and
Richard Cadbury opened their successful chocolate business in 1879. Birmingham also has one of the largest fountains in Europe in Victoria
Square, this is known as ‘The River’ as the flow
rate is 3,000 gallons of water every minute. Also notable in Birmingham is The Bull Ring, a historic
market site that is now home to an extensive shopping centre complex. With over
800 years of history and now home to the latest shops and brands, the Bull Ring
attracts over 30 million customers from all over the world every year.
The West Midlands is famously a county of great culture. It
is home to over 200 entertainment venues: theatres, music halls and theme
parks. One of the most popular is the Alton Towers Resort, home to Nemesis,
this is a top UK
visitor destination and one of the world’s leading theme parks.
The West
Midlands is also well known for its heritage sites, including Stokesay Castle.
Stokesay is a 13th century manor house maintained by English
Heritage. The castle grounds house a parish church, cottage-style gardens and a
tea room.
Famous
residents to West Midlands include actor Scott
Adkins, who grew up in Sutton. Others include Liam Payne (singer), Felicity
Jones (actress) and Arthur Darvill (actor).