Your day can start with a walk around the pretty market town of Evesham. Visit the ruins of Evesham Abbey and go inside the two parish churches which are right next door to each other. Depending on the weather you may wish to have a boat trip along the river or if you are feeling very active you can enjoy a guided walk that takes in some of the physical reminders of the Battle of Evesham.

After lunch a tour along the route of the famous Blossom Trail is a pretty route even when there is no blossom (notoriously fickle with regards to its timing). The route takes you through Broadway as well as through some lesser well known Worcester villages. You can even visit the Fleece Inn at nearby Bretforton, a historic pub owned by the National Trust.

Either for a meal, or just for a quiet drink.

If you are only interested in seeing the Iron Bridge itself, this can be visited as part of a multi-site itinerary. eg you may wish to visit nearby Much Wenlock, Wroxeter or Shrewsbury. However, if you want to visit some of the museums and other attractions in the gorge you will need to spend the whole day there.

These cater for all interests, with Enginuity a great hands-on museum, unlike the Coalport China Museum which is strictly hands off as well as several others, including Blists Hill Victorian Town.
A countryside walk in the area could combine a visit to one of these sites, or you could visit the ruins of nearby Buildwas Abbey or Benthall Hall a National Trust property.

A walk in the Malverns is a full day out. Walk in the steps of Elgar, who spent much of his life in the region and was inspired by the views from these hills for some of his most well known compositions.

The Malvern Hills have some of the oldest rocks in Britain and from the top you get magnificent views across the Severn Valley and into Wales on the West and then across the Vale of Evesham to the East. These hills span the divide between Worcestershire and Herefordshire with a very small section at the south in Gloucestershire. If you want heights and views your walk will go along the ridge and you can climb to the highest points in both Worcestershire and Herefordshire.

The Malverns have a complex geology which has resulted in many springs so that nowadays they are most famous for the bottled Malvern water, much beloved by our queen. On a walk, many of these springs are free flowing today so you can sample them and compare the taste between the different springs (yes there is a difference between some of them). If you are interested in sampling the many springs your walk will largely be along the lower slopes on the sides of the ridge.

Although surprisingly demanding for a day walk there are plenty of memorial benches where you can take a breather and enjoy the views. You are also never far from civilisation so if you don’t want to take a picnic to enjoy at the top there are plenty of places where you can get refreshments.

Enjoy a day out in Shropshire, one of the most rural counties in England right on the borderlands with Wales. You can enjoy a full day of walking in the hills such as the Long Mynd and hear about the exploits of Mad Jack Mytton (there is a long distance path named after him). You could end your walk with a visit to the National Trust café in Carding Mill Valley, sometimes known as “Little Switzerland” for much needed refreshments.

Alternatively you may wish to split your day between sightseeing and walking. If this is the case you could start your day with a visit to the fortified manor house at Stokesay Castle, with its glorious Elizabethan Gatehouse, built by a rich wool merchant from Ludlow. From here if you are interested in learning more about the area’s Geology and Wildlife it is a short stroll to the Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre in Craven Arms.

After lunch you could then have a walk up along Wenlock Edge to the East or walk to the West along parts of the Shropshire Way and explore the remains of iron-age hill forts such as Wart Hill.

Stoke on Trent in Staffordshire is a city which is made up of a confederation of 6 small towns, which together are frequently referred to as “The Potteries”. The whole area is best known for its production of pottery and although in decline there is still pottery made in the area.

Your day could start with a drive around the 6 towns where you will be able to see the factories with their outlet shops which still trade in the area today as well as the few remaining bottle ovens, which today are listed structures.

As well as pottery sites which no longer operate as working potteries, but are now museums, such as The Gladstone Pottery Museum, several of the working potteries allow visitor tours. You could have your morning coffee and cake at the Emma Bridgewater factory, served on their iconic polka dot tableware. This could be followed with a factory tour, showing you how they have adapted an old Victorian Factory site to modern production methods.

Alternatively you could take a trip out to the World of Wedgwood in nearby Barlaston. Here during a tour of the modern factory, explore 260 years of ground-breaking design and production by looking around their V & A collection, one of the finest collections of ceramics in the world. This could be followed by afternoon tea in their tea room.