Where to stay for holiday with 7 year old ds within easy reach of Birmingham

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We have found a dance summer school that will be really useful for dd. It's covering the exact things she's been asked to work on. However it's non residential so we'd have to stay there with her in a nearby hotel.

I'd wondered about perhaps taking our caravan somewhere nearby and having it as our holiday. I don't really want to leave ds for a week- it's not fair on him. Ideally it would need to be within half an hour of Birmingham big were on a caravan site he'd be happy otherwise a hotel near to some good places for a 9 year old who usually likes the beach or playgrounds.

You could try looking at parts of north Warwickshire and Worcestershire, lovely countryside and lots to do.

Kidderminster direction?
West Midlands safari park, Severn valley railway, Stourport (our version of Blackpool), Wyre forest, river Severn, various National Trust.

Otherwise, Warwickshire direction.
Warwick castle, Kenilworth castle, Stratford, Coventry (including motor museum), river Avon, Lunt Roman fort, various National Trust.

Lots of canals: would you trust him to cycle towpaths?

He can't (won't) ride a bike. Am desperately trying to teach him before the entire year group do Bikeability in September.

Hes not very into museums and stuff - that's dd's territory (but loves ironbridge especially enginuity)

Used to like (be obsessed with) trains.

Iron bridge area is good.
The bike riding do you not have a local BMX park who would teach him?
This is excellent and its the sort of place if you asked they would help out and soon have him riding
rampworx.com/

Iron bridge is lovely. Also Shrewsbury or the other side of Birmingham over to Stratford. All within easy reach of Birmingham.

No. There are a couple if tracks but no organised club. He refuses to even try starts saying he's scared of fsll

How long would it take to get from Stratford or iron bridge to MAC (cannon hill park) each morning?

By the way Ivevjustvrealised a typing error on my phone. Ds is aged 9 not 7!!!!!!

MAC is very close to my house.
What time would you need to be there? Rush hour traffic could add a lot of time to your journey?
Also, will it be in July/ August? They are closing some of the main routes into the city just to add to the usual traffic chaos.
Google maps says it's about a hour to ironbridge and 50mins to stratford but that doesn't account for rush hour or road closures.

MAC is very close to me too happy! Stratford Upon Avon would be about 45mins traffic depending - this caravan park is nice. www.stratfordcaravans.co.uk plenty to do in Stratford - boat rides, butterfly farm, all the Tudor stuff you can dream of. Also plenty to do in Brum - cadbury world, thinktank, nature centre ( next door to MAC). Have fun!

It starts at 10am each day.

And yes it's at the end of August.

10 not as bad as 9, but you are talking allowing an hour, at least the first day or two.

Also Cannon hill area gets buggered totally by Edgbaston cricket ground if there's a big match.

From the other side of Birmingham, how about Kingsbury Water park? There's lots to kill time around there, close to Birmingham and not far from other attractions. Snibston, the Snowdome at Tamworth, Black Country Museum, Coventry Motor museum, Bosworth battlefield all go down well with my boys. The Water Park is quite good for beginner cyclists too, lots of flat paths. It's quick to get places because it's near the motorway (but not near enough to be noisy).

It's a shame the course isn't residential. But dd is only 11 so can't stay anywhere on her own.

I used to work in Birmingham (city centre & Nec complex) and do went to college there so we know the area.

And just because I am so so so proud of him overcoming his fears - DS RODE WITHOUT STABILISERS YESTERDAY. On a much smaller bike but he did it.

Birmigham is a bit of a nightmare with roadworks ATM; the M6 junction 5 -8 has roadworks and two of the city centre tunnels are going to be shut over the summer.

Oh joy.
Thanks for warning me. The DDs and I often shop in Brum in the holidays. We will stick to the train.

I would saty in a hotel near the MAC, plenty of cheap hotels (travel lodge etc build recently) so short trip for DD, then travel with DS to attractions around birmingham, rather than spend an hour into MAC with both kids, then an hour back to the 'base' with DS and the reverse in the evening.
Also staying in Birmingham of an evening gives you a greater choce of meals, cinema, etc in the evening/wet

That's a much better idea, that way you don't have to get up early and can go out of Birmingham without worrying about rush hour.

I like the look of this place?

www.redlionfarm.co.uk/

Farm with animals, caravans and ice cream.

It's near the M6 but personally I'd drive to the station and get the train in to Birmingham (assuming the dance place is central) and depending on how mature / confident dd is she might be able to get the train on her own.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Kingsley