From Christmas cards to festive films, our culture imparts a clear sense of what a “Christmasy” town should look like. Preferably thronging with people, bedecked with lights, in posession of some quaintly charming old buildings and dusted with snow.
Luckily here in the English Midlands we are fortunate to be blessed with plenty of places at promise at least three of those four things. Here is how to walk to some of the best.
Warwickshire’s Mini County Capital
Henley in Arden – Warwick
Just outside the West Midlands conurbation, Warwickshire’s little county town is a surprisingly overlooked medieval and early modern architectural gem. Perfect for some Christmas shopping and festivities. This walk goes cross country and along the Grand Union Canal from the equally picturesque Henley-in-Arden (find out more)
Largest German Christmas Market Outside Germany
Whitlocks End – Digbeth
Love it or hate it about the Midlands largest city Birmingham possesses what claims to be the largest German Christmas market outside of the ‘Schland. This gentle stroll takes you there through the always impressively green suburbs of Birmingham from Whitlocks End Station right on the edge of the West Midlands conurbation. It wends its way back to Digbeth in the city centre via the Wake Green Prefabs, Sarehole Mill, Shire Country Park and other noted attractions. Around 8 miles (find out more)
Wirksworth: the Midland’s Quirkiest Town?
Ambergate – Wirksworth
To my mind wonderful Wirksworth nestled just south of the Peak District National Park is possibly the Midlands’ quirkiest town. However, thanks to its coscily crooked architecture (a legacy of centuries of mining and quarrying activity), community spirit, steam railway, and plethora of independent shops and other businesses it is also one of the most Christmasy. This five mile walk takes you there from the nearest mainline station at Ambergate (find out more)
Go to Earth in Much Wenlock
Ironbridge – Much Wenlock
Situated just under 5 miles from the edge of Telford at Much Wenlock, where could be more festive than the distinctive, independent and ancient little town of Much Wenlock nestling in the mid-Shropshire hills (find out more)
The Christmas Plague
Bakewell – Eyam
Eyam in the middle of the Derbyshire Peak District is famed for its mid-17th Century plague history. However, it is also an incredibly Christmasy place, thanks to its warm old limestone coloured buildings and community spirits. Easily walked to from Bakewell on days when daylight is in short supply (find out more)
Big Day in Little Lichfield
Sutton Coldfield – Lichfield
First walk in a Staffordshire trifecta of Christmasy towns and cities – which form roughly a triangle on a map – Lichfield is a little cathedral city which packs a punch where Christmas is concerned. Reached from Sutton Coldfield by a long but interesting route avoiding numerous pieces of critical national infrastructure (find out more)
Christmas in Narnia
Colwall – Great Malvern
Without a doubt Malvern is amongst the Midlands most seasonally festive towns. It is noted for being where C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkein would go for walking holidays (catching the still existant train from Oxford) at the time when they were creating the fantasy series which have secured their non-academic legacies. This walk gets you there across the hills with plenty of time for Christmas shopping and festivities before the daylight gives out (find out more)
Christmas 1896 (Forever…)
Telford – Blists Hill
If Victorian style Christmases are you thing, could there be anything better than a living Victorian town? Blists Hill the Ironbridge Gorge Museums’ living history museum where it is forever 1896 always puts on Christmas specialities. This urban and suburban walk taking around ninety minuites to complete is from central Telford to Blists Hill (find out more)
Oh Little Cathedral Town of Southwell
Saltwells National Nature Reserve
Short walk from Fiskerton Railway Station to Southwell, either the Midland’s smallest city, or a pretty small town (take your fancy) and which ticks all the Christmas boxes. Also notable for having once been Lord Byron’s residence and for the National Trust conserved workhouse (find out more)
If You Like Your Cathedral Cities (A Little) Bigger
Droitwich Spa – Worcester
Sitting a tier above little Lichfield and tiny Southwell in the cathedral city stakes, Worcester is also an incredibly Christmasy place. This walk takes you there from Droitwich Spa along canal towpaths and the banks of the mighty River Severn (find out more)
Run of the Mill Christmas
Ambergate – Cromford
While our modern notion of Christmas is ultimately an artefact of the industrial revolution, and to this day all our celebrations depend upon factory workers, we seldom think about these things at this time of year. Cromford in Derbyshire, which is now a pretty Christmasy little village, where the factory system began is perhaps the place to combine the to. Reached by a straightforward walk along the partially restored Cromford Canal from Ambergate (find out more)
Away in William Shakespeare’s Manger
Henley in Arden – Stratford upon Avon
Starting from picturesque Henley-in-Arden and winding its way along the towpath beside the southern reaches of the Stratford Canal, this walk takes you to the perennially Christmasy south Warwickshire town of Stratford-upon-Avon. Also noted for being William Shakespeare’s birthplace (find out more)
Christmas “Queen of the Staffordshire Moorlands”
Stoke on Trent – Leek
Second in a Staffordshire trifecta of Christmasy towns and cities – which form roughly a triangle on a map – is Leek. A grand little town perched on the edge of the Peak District and very atmospheric at this time of year. Easily reached along the Caldon Canal from central Stoke-on-Trent, though it is a relatively long walk (find out more)
If Heineken Did Market Towns
Derby – Melbourne
Melbourne (namesake of the massive Australian city) is s small market town nestling in the River Trent valley just south of Derby. It is many ways the quintessential Midlands market town, amongst the eastern half od the region’s most desirable places to live. For these reasons it is amongst the most Christmasy towns in the Midlands. Easy reached along (current and former) towpaths and an ex-railway track from Derby Midland Station (find out more)
If Heineken Did Villages
Northampton – Earls Barton
Walk in south Northamptonshire from the centre of Northampton to Earls Barton. Earls Barton is a (now quite large) little village high above the River Nene Valley. Close to the ideal form of a south Midlands village it is perfect at this time of year (find out more)
Vale of Red Horse Christmas
Northampton – Earls Barton
Shipston-on-Stour is Warwickshire’s southernmost town. Situated in the middle of the Vale of Red Horse, this well formed and deeply Christmasy town nestles just above the Coteswolds (find out more)
Christmas in Middle Earth
Stourbridge – Kinver
The third and final part of the Christmasy Staffordshiretrifecta. Situated beneath the Kinver Edge red sandstone plateau, the little town of Kinver is Staffordshire’s most southerly settlement. So southerly many people think it is in Worcestershire. Kinver is famed for its rock houses (inhabited up until the 1960s) which have a distinctivley Hobbity feel. Perfect place to burrow into in the winter. Fairly short walk, half along towpaths, half across fields and woodland, for Stourbridge Town Railway Station (find out more)
Inspo for Many an ITV Christmas Special
New Mills – Marple
Just inside Great Manchester, but very near the county boundary with Derbyshire where this walk begins, Marple is a Christmasy sort of town. However, perhaps its strongest claim to Christmas fame is the belief that Agatha Christie who visited Marple on one of the few occasions visited northern England called in at the town, named one of her detectives after the place. (find out more)
A “Posh Seaside Town” Inland
Kidderminster – Bewdley
If you like to see lights glinting in the water then in the Midlands counties Bewdley by the River Severn is hard to beat. Especially around December and Christmas time. Easily reached by a route, half on towpaths, from Kidderminster Railway Station (find out more)