If you are heading to Birmingham, from Solihull, you can use Chiltern Railways (the Leamington to Moor Street line) and skip all stations between here and Birmingham Moor Street. Only took 15 minutes!
Graffiti all over (Street art). Old Industrial buildings. Home of Custard Factory and City of Colours etc.
Lots of historic buildings here. Free parking either side of the High Street. Or Town Centre Car Park at the golf club. Railway station hourly trains on the Shakespeare Line. Several tea rooms/ pubs.
Bit hard to find of don't go often. Had to check Google Maps to find it again. But once there is somewhere nice to relax and have your coffee. Within a shopping centre.
Three platforms but most trains stop at platform 1. Two footbridges now. One with a pair of lifts. The town centre is in walking distance. Car park and bus stops nearby. Pedestrianised outside.
Formerly the Lichfield Heritage Centre. Has a museum (free entry). No photography of exhibits allowed. For £3 a guide can take you up the spire for wonderful views of Lichfield! Over 100 steps.
Trains on the Cross City line from Redditch, Longbridge and Birmingham New Street etc. Some go on to Lichfield Trent Valley. The Class 323's still quite comfortable. You cruise through countryside!
In easy reach from the no 1 bus stop on Harborne Road (near Morrisons). Is a Drive Thru, but you can have a drink and food inside also. They did my toastie a bit quick, needed extra minute or two.
Panini's and coffees good at this and any Costa (they are the same). Better to sit inside. The O2 wifi doesn't work once connected and a poor BT wifi nearby sometimes hijacks the wifi. The 4G is ok.
Nice hotel. Not much staff around. Have to press buzzer in reception to get their attention. No Automatic machine for getting your rooms cards. When we "checked out" there was no staff in reception.
Only popped along to take photos of the place. It is free. But the gate was padlocked on my visit. So you can only go inside on event days.
