Tamworth

Tamworth is an attractive and fascinating town situated in the lovely county of Staffordshire in the Midlands, England. Located just outside of England's second largest city, Birmingham, Tamworth gets its name from the River Tame, which runs through the center of the town.

The town is one of England's hidden gems with plenty to see and do there. What makes Tamworth so attractive to visitors from all over the UK and further afield is its rich history. Settlement in the area of Tamworth dates as far back as the Roman period and there is clear evidence of Roman habitation in the area dating back to 43–409 AD.

Since the Romans first settled the area, it has developed into the thriving, historic market town that you see today. This has made Tamworth into a very popular tourist destination, attracting visitors from all over the world who come to see it's historic buildings and impressive castle.

Tamworth Castle Video

Historic buildings

Tamworth has a rich historical heritage which can be seen in the buildings situated in the town. The most impressive ones include:

Tamworth Castle - This castle dates from around 1000 AD and since then has been home to Saxons, Normans, Tudors and Victorians before it became a museum in 1887. The castle which contains 15 fully furnished rooms has a number of fascinating displays each relating to the era of each room. The Castle Grounds park is open to the public and are is well worth visiting.

St Editha’s Church - The church is more than 1200 years old (although most of the church was built in the 14th century and 15th century) and it is the largest medieval parish church in Staffordshire.

Tamworth Assembly Rooms - The assembly rooms are the towns historic theatre, and they were built in 1889.
Tamworth Town Hall - The town hall was built in 1701 by Thomas Guy, MP for Tamworth.

The Free Library (now the Carnegie Centre) - This is a charming red brick building built in 1905 and paid for by US philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.

Almshouses - The original almshouses were built in 1678 to house Tamworth’s poor, and were demolished in 1912. The current almshouse buildings were designed in the 'Free Georgian' architectural style.

The Moat House - This historic Grade II listed building was the seat of the ancient and noble Comberford family for many years

Industrial heritage

Tamworth was home to the Reliant Motor Company which was one of the UK’s most successful manufacturers of 3 wheeled vehicles. The company is perhaps best known for its iconic three-wheeled car, the Reliant Robin. It is also known for producing the sporty Scimitar and the Bond Bug (a strikingly designed three-wheeled vehicle). The site of Reliant Motors is now a housing estate. However, the estate is named Scimitar Park and streets in the estate are named after Reliant models such as 'Robin Close'.

Leisure and Entertainment

Tamworth offers visitors a variety of things to see and do, including:

The Snowdome - This is an exciting leisure facility located in Tamworth. When it opened in 1994 it was Britain’s first indoor snow slope. There are a variety of leisure activities on offer including skiing, snowboarding and ice skating, facilities as well as a 25-metre swimming pool. For further information see https://www.snowdome.co.uk

The Drayton Manor Theme Park - This theme park is located near to Drayton Bassett, which is around 3 miles from Tamworth. It includes a range of amusement park rides and a zoo. Covering 280 acres, it is one of the largest theme parks in the country.

Drayton Manor Review

 

Getting to Tamworth

Wherever you are in the UK you will find Tamworth is easy to get to. The town is well connected to the UK’s motorway network and there are various public transport options that link Tamworth with other major towns and cities in the UK.