Points of interest in or around Birmingham?

[Cross City]

Hi all, long time reader and lurker but first time poster. If this is in the wrong section please feel free to move it.

I have a day off tomorrow while SWMBO is out and I'm going to spend it on a day riding around the West Midlands on the very reasonably priced Network Daytripper (£6.90) for full use of the train, tram and bus network for a day.

I'm very familiar with the rail network arou D here but would anybody have any recommendations as to some interesting stations/features/sights I might not have considered seeing on my trip.

Cheers,
PM.

 

[basfordlad]

Cant think of anything special but its certainly good value
However if you want really good quality Indian style food for lunch. Take the tram to soho benson road tram stop and go to the soho tavern , it's the best Desi style pub in birmingham . Very odd location but worth it

 

[Bevan Price]

If you are interested in such things, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery has a Science & Technology section, and its collection includes a Stanier Pacific, "City of Birmingham":
See: https://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/collection

It is a few minutes walk from New Street station.

 

[Skymonster]

Points of interest in and around Birmingham - surely that must be an oxymoron?

 

[dmncf]

There's the newly-opened tram extension to the Library at Centenary Square, and work underway to extend it further to Edgbaston. There's also work underway at the opposite end of the line on a short extension to Wolverhampton railway station.

 

[Djgr]

Points of interest in and around Birmingham - surely that must be an oxymoron?

It certainly pulls under its weight.

 

[xotGD]

Best railway location in Birmingham: The front vestibule behind a 68 heading through the tunnel from Moor Street to Snow Hill.

 

[Techniquest]

Best railway location in Birmingham: The front vestibule behind a 68 heading through the tunnel from Moor Street to Snow Hill.

Having done that (almost, I was being lazy and had one of the closest seats to the front vestibule) on 2nd January, I can confirm it was incredibly good fun.

Points of interest around Birmingham, well I'm not really super familiar with the city if I'm honest, but one thing I do plan to do eventually is a walk along the canal, either the section around Five Ways/University or one of the bits along the Birmingham to Wolverhampton line. My main reasons for that being to get some railway shots before the 170s start getting replaced (eventually) by 196s, and to explore something a little different.

If aviation interests you, Sheldon Country Park is easily accessible from Marston Green and a short walk from the station. Birmingham International's western end of the runway is found in the park, and when stuff takes off heading west/north it's incredibly good fun.

In terms of general interest in Birmingham itself, I have to hold my hands up and admit defeat, I don't know the city well enough to comment.

 

[dmncf]

If aviation interests you, Sheldon Country Park is easily accessible from Marston Green and a short walk from the station. Birmingham International's western end of the runway is found in the park, and when stuff takes off heading west/north it's incredibly good fun.

Thanks - sounds like nice place to visit for some (probably not) fresh air.

Does anyone know if there's a way of knowing which way planes are taking off, e.g. a website showing plane movements than one can check before visiting?

 

[Techniquest]

I use Flightradar24, a free app, to assist my spotting. How easy it is to check direction of takeoff I'm not sure, I don't really have a preference so whichever it is it is!

The park is used a lot by runners/joggers and dog walkers, as well as aviation enthusiasts. I've no idea where it leads to in any direction, just that there are great views to be had.

As for the fresh air, it's pretty clean air overall. Obviously less so when flights go overhead, but generally it's pretty good.

There is a viewing area near one of the car parks, but I personally prefer Sheldon Country Park for it.