Wolverhampton

United_Kingdom

Wolverhampton is in the West Midlands (county) in the West Midlands (region), England.

Whilst Wolverhampton isn't well known as a tourist attraction, those visiting friends at the University, enjoying a football match at the famous Molineux Stadium or attending a concert at one of the fine local music venues will probably be pleasantly surprised by what this city has to offer.

  • Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Lichfield Street. M-Sa 10AM-5PM, closed Bank Holidays. Home to one of the best collections of Pop Art in the UK, including works by Andy Warhol. Free entry.
  • West Park. A fine example of a Victorian park close to the city centre, with a refurbished bandstand, conservatory and lake. Green Flag/Green Heritage Status.
  • Moseley Old Hall, Moseley Old Hall Lane, Fordhouses, WV10 7HY (between the A449 Stafford Road (junc 2, M54) and A460 Cannock Road (junc 1, M54) south of the M54, +44 1902 782808. An atmospheric 17th-century farmhouse that is most famous for its association with King Charles II, who sought refuge there from Cromwell's troops after he fled the Battle of Worcester in 1651. Managed by the National Trust.
  • Wightwick Manor and Gardens, Wightwick Bank, WV6 8EE (Off the A454 Bridgnorth Road, +44 1902 761400. The 19th-century home of the Mander family and full of the works of William Morris and Pre-Raphaelite associates.
  • St Peter's Collegiate Church, Lich Gates, WV1 1TY, +44 1902 422642. A 14th-century church and gardens in Cheapside - Green Heritage status.
  • Black Country Living Museum, Tipton Road, Dudley DY1 4SQ, +44 121 557-9643. Showing life in Industrial Revolution Britain. See entry under Dudley.
  • Boscobel House and The Royal Oak, Brewood, Bishop's Wood, ST19 9AR (10 miles north-west of Wolverhampton, +44 1902 850244. A timber-framed house, most famous for the 'Royal Oak' where King Charles II hid to evade capture after his defeat at the Battle of Worcester in 1651. Managed by English Heritage. adults £6.20, children £3.70, concessions £5.60.

Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Lichfield Street. M-Sa 10AM-5PM, closed Bank Holidays. Home to one of the best collections of Pop Art in the UK, including works by Andy Warhol. Free entry.

West Park. A fine example of a Victorian park close to the city centre, with a refurbished bandstand, conservatory and lake. Green Flag/Green Heritage Status.

Moseley Old Hall, Moseley Old Hall Lane, Fordhouses, WV10 7HY (between the A449 Stafford Road (junc 2, M54) and A460 Cannock Road (junc 1, M54) south of the M54, +44 1902 782808. An atmospheric 17th-century farmhouse that is most famous for its association with King Charles II, who sought refuge there from Cromwell's troops after he fled the Battle of Worcester in 1651. Managed by the National Trust.

Wightwick Manor and Gardens, Wightwick Bank, WV6 8EE (Off the A454 Bridgnorth Road, +44 1902 761400. The 19th-century home of the Mander family and full of the works of William Morris and Pre-Raphaelite associates.

St Peter's Collegiate Church, Lich Gates, WV1 1TY, +44 1902 422642. A 14th-century church and gardens in Cheapside - Green Heritage status.

Black Country Living Museum, Tipton Road, Dudley DY1 4SQ, +44 121 557-9643. Showing life in Industrial Revolution Britain. See entry under [[Dudley (England)|Dudley]].

Boscobel House and The Royal Oak, Brewood, Bishop's Wood, ST19 9AR (10 miles north-west of Wolverhampton, +44 1902 850244. A timber-framed house, most famous for the 'Royal Oak' where King Charles II hid to evade capture after his defeat at the Battle of Worcester in 1651. Managed by English Heritage. adults £6.20, children £3.70, concessions £5.60.

  • Watch football (ie socccer) at Wolverhampton Wanderers, Molineux Stadium, Waterloo Rd, WV1 4QR. Wolves play in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The stadium, capacity 31,000, is half a mile north of town centre, just beyond the ring road.
  • Go to the races at Wolverhampton Racecourse, Dunstall Park WV6 0PE (Two miles north of town off Gorsebrook Rd, +44 1902 390000. This is the UK's first all-weather floodlit horse racetrack, so it has flat-racing year round, mostly in the evening, often mid-week. It's an artificial "Tapeta" surface; they don't have jumps races here. The course is in the throes of expanding its hotel, creating a casino, and tarmacking the overspill car park, so it'll be a tad messy while all this construction is under way.
  • Grand Theatre, Lichfield St, WV1 1DE.
  • Civic Hall, North St, WV1 1RD. See a concert at Civic Hall. Recent bands over the past few years have included Radiohead, The Killers, Blur and Travis
  • The South Staffordshire Golf Club, Danescourt Rd, Tettenhall, WV6 9BQ, +44 1902 751065. Play golf at one of Wolverhampton's various courses, including the South Staffs course where former Ryder Cup winner Peter Baker is one of the course pros.

Watch football (ie socccer) at Wolverhampton Wanderers, Molineux Stadium, Waterloo Rd, WV1 4QR. Wolves play in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The stadium, capacity 31,000, is half a mile north of town centre, just beyond the ring road.

Go to the races at Wolverhampton Racecourse, Dunstall Park WV6 0PE (Two miles north of town off Gorsebrook Rd, +44 1902 390000. This is the UK's first all-weather floodlit horse racetrack, so it has flat-racing year round, mostly in the evening, often mid-week. It's an artificial "Tapeta" surface; they don't have jumps races here. The course is in the throes of expanding its hotel, creating a casino, and tarmacking the overspill car park, so it'll be a tad messy while all this construction is under way.

Grand Theatre, Lichfield St, WV1 1DE.

Civic Hall, North St, WV1 1RD. See a concert at Civic Hall. Recent bands over the past few years have included Radiohead, The Killers, Blur and Travis

The South Staffordshire Golf Club, Danescourt Rd, Tettenhall, WV6 9BQ, +44 1902 751065. Play golf at one of Wolverhampton's various courses, including the South Staffs course where former Ryder Cup winner Peter Baker is one of the course pros.

While Wolverhampton's shopping facilities are more limited than the Bull Ring in nearby Birmingham and the enormous Merry Hill Centre, the newly refurbished Wulfrun and Mander shopping centers are home to all of the usual high street chains and the enormous Beatties department store is unrivalled in the region.

  • Wulfrun Shopping Centre, Cleveland St, WV1 3HH, +44 1902 424536.
  • Mander Shopping Centre, Woolpack Alley, WV1 3NH, +44 1902 711084.
  • House of Fraser, 71–78 Victoria St, WV1 3PQ, +44 1902 422311.

There is also delightful independent boutique The Sheila Cooke Foundation, where all the stock is made on the premises, or by equally lovely UK based companies. A must for anyone with an eye for detail and the unusual!

Wulfrun Shopping Centre, Cleveland St, WV1 3HH, +44 1902 424536.

Mander Shopping Centre, Woolpack Alley, WV1 3NH, +44 1902 711084.

House of Fraser, 71–78 Victoria St, WV1 3PQ, +44 1902 422311.

A visit to Wolverhampton wouldn't be complete without trying a curry from one of the many Indian restaurants located in and around the city center. Of particular note is the award-winning Bilash Tandoori on Cheapside.

  • Bilash Tandoori, 2 Cheapside, WV1 1TU, +44 1902 427762. M-Sa noon-2PM and 5:15PM-11PM, Sun closed.

Other well-known restaurants include Bella in Chapel Ash (Upmarket Italian cuisine) Memsahib in Compton (Indian cuisine) and The Ship in the town center (its the only place in West Midlands that does a beef chilly fry!) Other popular eateries just outside Wolverhampton include: The Red Cow at Ackleton (on the way to Bridgnorth), The Cowshed in Pattingham and the Thornescroft Restaurant (once again on the way to Bridgnorth).

Bilash Tandoori, 2 Cheapside, WV1 1TU, +44 1902 427762. M-Sa noon-2PM and 5:15PM-11PM, Sun closed.

In addition to a wide choice of bars and clubs, centred around Lichfield Street and Queen Street, its live music scene is unrivalled by many larger cities in the UK. The main music venues include the Civic Hall, Wulfrun Hall and Little Civic on North Street in the city centre, and the Robin 2 (near Bilston Central metro station)

For Real Ale, one might consider visiting one of Wolverhampton's CAMRA pubs such as the "Combermere Arms" on the Tettenhall Road in Chapel Ash, "The Newhampton" on Riches St off Newhampton Road in Whitmore Reans or "The Great Western" in Sun Street at the back of the railway station. "The Station" in Codsall (also a CAMRA pub) is known for its real ale; it is outside Wolverhampton.

Wolverhampton is a few miles from the countryside of Shropshire. Nearby places to visit include Ironbridge Gorge, Weston Park and the market town of Bridgnorth.