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Black Country Living Museum
Black Country Living Museum
Leather Museum © Walsall Leather Museum
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Black Country Living Museum
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Black Country Living Museum
Dr Malcom Dick OBE
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Black Country Living Museum
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Black Country Living Museum
Black Country Living Museum
Full day at the marvellous Black Country Living Museum
Canal cruise through the Limestone Caverns
Stourbridge Glass Museums
Leather Museum, Walsall
Talk from TV’s Paul Atterbury
This fascinating tour, led by Dr Malcolm Dick, an expert in the history of the Industrial Revolution in the Midlands which also features a talk from the Antique Roadshow’s Paul Atterbury, looks at the industrial and transport history of the Black Country region at a critical time in England’s economic and social development. A full day is allowed at the superb Black Country Living Museum, familiar to fans of the TV series “Peaky Blinders,” which is filmed here, as well as a canal cruise and visits to the Leather Museum Walsall, Stourbridge Red Cone Glass House Museum and the new Stourbridge Glass Museum. Combined with the expert guidance of Dr Malcom Dick, these visits give a fascinating insight into the development of the Industrial Revolution in the Black Country.
Available Departures |
From |
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| 25 - September - 2024 | Sold Out | Travel Info On Request |
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Provisional Timings |
Day 1: Arrive independently at the Copthorne Hotel Merry Hill Dudley from 15.00. This evening there will be a welcome reception, dinner with wine and a talk by Dr Malcolm Dick, “The emergence of the Black Country in the Industrial Revolution.’
Day 2: Leather Museum Walsall, Stourbridge Red Cone Glass House Museum and Stourbridge Glass Museum.
A varied day looks at different aspects of the Industrial Revolution as we headfirst to Walsall and the fascinating Leather Museum, which looks at the history of the leather industry and where some of the world’s best saddles and leather goods have been made for more than 200 years. Next onto Stourbridge, the centre of the glass industry and visit the impressive Red House Glass Cone, built at the end of the 18th century and operational until 1936 to see how glass was made and its role in the industrial might of the country. While here we will have lunch included at the Red Cone Coffee House. Our final visit is to the Stourbridge Glass Museum (opened in April 2022) housed in the Grade II listed former Stuart Crystal Glassworks which has been adapted to house both permanent and temporary galleries, a hot glass making studio and a hands-on activity space. The Stourbridge Glass Collection housed at the new museum is one of the finest world-wise holdings of British and international 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th century glass. This evening we will enjoy a talk from Paul Atterbury: ‘At the Heart of Industry: the canals of Birmingham and the Black Country’ and dinner at the hotel.
Day 3 Black Country Living Museum and Canal Cruise.
Most of the day is allocated to the superb Black Country Living Museum, an immersive award-winning open-air museum that tells the story of one of the very first industrialised landscapes in Britain. Set across 26 acres, you'll explore over forty carefully reconstructed shops, houses and industrial areas that represent the Black Country's story. It tells the story of how steam power, human ingenuity and an increasingly connected world transformed the region into a manufacturing powerhouse. Here, history is brought to life before your eyes – and you'll hear the clang of hammers and smell the smoke billowing from red brick chimneys. The museum may well be familiar to you as the setting for a host of TV series and films, including Peaky Blinders, Stan & Ollie and the Antiques Roadshow. A canal cruise from the Dudley Canal Trust into the abandoned limestone mines and tunnels completes the day’s journey into our industrial past. Return to the hotel for approximately 17.30.
NB: Exact order of excursions may vary according to local conditions and tour manager's discretion
Please note: Post tour extra nights are available at a supplement.
Please note the maximum group size on this tour is 40 passengers.
INCLUDED
NOT INCLUDED
Copthorne Hotel Merry Hill Dudley
Set in the heart of Dudley’s historic canal marina, the four-star Copthorne Hotel Merry Hill Dudley has a lovely waterfront location and provides modern facilities including a restaurant, bar, fitness centre, spa and indoor swimming pool. Bedrooms are comfortable and of a generous size with en-suite bathroom, TV, telephone, wifi and tea/coffee making facilities.
Car parking: Complimentary off street parking available at the hotel
Please note that all our UK tours start and finish at the relevant hotel.
You can normally check in from 3pm onwards but hotels will always be happy to store your luggage if you arrive earlier in the day.
For full details of how to get to the hotel, directions and the nearest train station, please click on the hotel website or call our office for details. These will also be sent automatically with your confirmation.
The welcome reception and first evening dinner / talk will commence at about 6pm - full details will be sent with your joining instructions about 10 days prior to the arrival date.
A really interesting tour of the Black Country. The lectures were well presented. Dr Malcolm Dick was on hand at the various museums to give additional information on specific areas.. Paul Atterbury’s talk on the Canal was an informative preview to our Canal Trip. The hotel food was good and better than last month’s menus at the Blunsden House Hotel near Swindon. We were happy to give a positive interview to travel guru who accompanied our tour.
Review by Barbour-Bourne who travelled 13-September-2023
Very interesting trip, well planned and run.
Review by Hulbert who travelled 13-September-2023
A very enjoyable trip. Only criticism was there were some incapacitated people onboard who perhaps were not fit enough for this trip and I think the tour manager could have kept them under closer surveillance so they didn’t hold up the coach: difficult, as a lot of terrain to cover on Sunday. Also, the leather museum manager did not appear to be ready for us , so that visit was a little chaotic.
Review by Anonymous who travelled 13-September-2023
Expert tour leader (Malcolm Dick) excellent; good well-balance range of visits. Evening meals a bit late after lectures. Not enough time to get to know other members of group. List of participants plus home area might help start conversations.
Review by Lush who travelled 13-September-2023
A first rate tour. Excellent support from Steve,and Malcolm who made the experience memorable by drawing together the history, geology, and social perspective from the 17th century to now. Excellent guides at the museums. The hotel was comfortable and the staff very helpful. The food was OK but not outstanding.
Review by Hoadley who travelled 13-September-2023
Enjoyable trip, good hotel with excellent meals. Dr Malcom Dick was very good and almost rendering our Tour Manager redundant. Paul Atterbury gave an excellent talk on the canals.
Review by Gibbs who travelled 13-September-2023
Dr.Malcolm Dick was both knowledgeable and friendly. Steve Machaeson took great care of us. Please thank them on our behalf. The staff at Coptthorne Merry-hilll were patient and helpful and so were all the people at Faraday's restaurant, especially Shelley. The hotel is luxurious. My only problem was. that the tap ran over the side of the washbasin!
Review by Gregson who travelled 13-September-2023
Thoroughly interesting tour
Review by Walker who travelled 21-September-2022
The hotel was generally ok. The meals were good but there seemed to be a cutting of corners, understandable perhaps in the current economic climate. You had to request that the room was serviced whereas I would expect the used cups to be replaced and the bins emptied. There were no tissues in the room, there was tea and coffee but only one packet of biscuits between two people and that only on the first night.
Review by Anonymous who travelled 21-September-2022
The tour was exactly as described - very informative and enjoyable. Didn't mind walking though found standing tiring and trying to hear guide quite difficult at times. Very irritatingly, the card key in the hotel worked once only and had to be renewed every day - several times. Hotel were aware and helpful.
Review by Anonymous who travelled 21-September-2022
We thoroughly enjoyed our tour including the two lectures on the previous evenings. We now know a lot more about the Black Country and it’s industries. The tour was paced well so we saw a lot in the time we had. We would recommend this tour to others as it was well planned and executed.
Review by Thomson who travelled 21-September-2022
Review by Anonymous who travelled 21-September-2022
Review by Anonymous who travelled 21-September-2022
Really enjoyed our tour and we will use Travel E again.The visits were well organised and we could be flexible with walking which was important to us.
Review by Curran who travelled 21-September-2022
1, Train - we travelled the day after the heatwave so services disrupted! 2, Lovely big room but small double bed. No air-con, windows opened a crack. Fan provided but too noisy to use at night. No access to fridge to cool our water. No paper tissues in room. View from room across peeling roof of lobby. (photo available). 3, Asked for a walk-in shower but were told there were none in hotel. Roger couldn't step into the bath, so couldn't shower. Yet they "cater" for wheelchairs, how? 4, Lovely huge soft bath towels.
Review by Anonymous who travelled 20-July-2022
A very informative tour. The evening talks were very good, and the underground canal trip a unique experience.
Review by Hamilton who travelled 20-July-2022
Overall enjoyed this tour, which gave a good insight to the history of the Black Country. Talks given by Malcolm and Lars were informative and entertaining. However, we felt that the buffet breakfasts and dinners were barely adequate and were neither hot or replenished. A small point in our opinion - less time needed at Bantock House and more at the glass museum. Finally we know there are no longer any COVID restrictions, but there was no references made by the Tour Manager to Travel Editions own protocols or to remind us all to be socially aware and responsible. Some of the venues visited required the wearing of masks and social distancing, which was not properly considered. We feel that Travel Editions should ensure that everyone feels secure and happy whilst on their tours with this regard especially with a large group such as ourselves.
Review by Cousins who travelled 29-September-2021
Thank you so much for this fascinating tour. Malcolm Dick is an outstanding lecturer - so knowledgeable and yet unassuming - put to shame the Thursday night lecturer who relied on his charm rather than sound knowledge. The museum trips were excellent and we had first-rate and enthusiastic guides. Hotel soemwhat quirky but interesting - food improved as we went on - and it was great to use the spa. Catherine Kedge
Review by Kedge who travelled 29-September-2021
Bantock House Museum was not very interesting. The other trips were all good. The food at the hotel was acceptable. Our room card was rejected on the third extra night, as was a lot of others. This also happened in our hotel in Cardiff. Lars was an excellent speaker. All in all an interesting trip.
Review by Ottaway who travelled 29-September-2021
This tour was so well thought out. The content was excellent and the arrangements seemed (to us) flawless. The hotel was a little chaotic because it was also being used as a court and reception staff on the first night were not very helpful, Dining room staff were great however and the food was very good.
Review by Woodcraft who travelled 29-September-2021
enjoyed the quality of the tours each day and learnt a lot. however, the Hotel left a lot to be desired: could not get the shower to work on either days; a very long and rambling way up and down stairs to bedrooms; very aware of a Nightingale Court taking place and I felt hotel's priority was providing facilities to them; could not get a small bottle of water for the coach and could not get some toiletries at Reception, I'd left behind at home. Place change of name was confusing for taxi driver. Our lecturer was very competent-tour leader a little patronising.
Review by Bruton who travelled 29-September-2021
Review by Anonymous who travelled 29-September-2021
The hotel had no lifts. To get to my room there were two flights of stairs. In addition as a disabled man I was in a room with the longest possible walk. The room itself was good. The food was good. The hotel staff very helpful. The lectures and trips were enjoyable. No lifts, should for the age group of your travelers, disqualify this hotel..
Review by Local who travelled 29-September-2021
Hotel a bit weird, bedrooms only reached by staircases, difficult for some guests.They cancelled all the bedroom keys for the 3rd nighters, so a long track back to reception for all. I think the tour manager should have stayed until the Saturday to see that taxies were ordered and everyone got away safelly.Food a bit canteenlike!
Review by Anonymous who travelled 29-September-2021
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