Central Guesthouse is a comfortable base for you to wander around our beautiful county.

We are a small, family run guest house. A home from home and close to all local facilities. We provide you with a full English or vegetarian breakfast and a wonderfully friendly atmosphere. We even provide a discount for longer stays!

We are 4 miles into Birmingham City Centre, New Street Station and only 4 miles to the National Exhibition Centre.

For your convenience, parking is available along with a telephone for guest use.

Birmingham is a exciting place to visit... what started out as a small Saxon settlement in a forest has turned into a vibrant, exciting and lively place to visit that retains a lot of history and heritage.

Rooms:

All of our 5 rooms have en suite facilities. Children are always welcome and dogs are too by arrangement.

Rooms feature tea & coffee making facilities along with a hairdryer. Ironing facilities and cable TV's are found in all rooms.

About The West Midlands:

The West Midlands was created in the 1970's and is a medley of Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire. Hence, this explains why the Warwickshire County Cricket Club is based in the West Midlands!

Major towns, other than Birmingham in the region are Coventry, Wolverhampton, Walsall, West Bromwich and Dudley.

The West Midlands region was part of the Kingdom of Mercia in the 7th and 8th centuries. The Normans, at the time were not interested in Birmingham. In fact, Birmingham was valued at just £1 in the Domesday Survey.

The Normans were more interested in the lands to the west which were ruled by Earl Edwin during the reign of Edward the Confessor. After the historical Norman conquest, the land changed hands to William Fitz Ansulf, a powerful individual, who built a fortress at Dudley.

The fortress was an important stronghold until the English Civil War. During the English Civil war, this fortress suffered substantial damage.

In the West Midlands, there are several landmarks to be aware of including Turners Hill at Oakham.

Rowley Regis is an interesting landmark due to the strange fact that is supposedly the highest point eastward until the Ural Mountains!

The glass cone, one of only 4 remaining in the UK, can be found at The Redhouse Glass Works at Wordsley. Vast caverns can be seen at Wren's Nest Hill near Dudley... there are literally millions of fossils beneath your feet once you enter this 74 acre nature reserve.

For those who like monuments, one of the most famous is Coventry Cathedral which was bombed during WWII. Moseley Old Hall is an Elizabethan house and this is where Charles II hid after his defeat at the Battle of Worcester in 1651.

Dudley Castle was built and occupied during Saxon times. It was reconstructed by the Normans under William Fitz Ansulf. Black Country Museum is located right at the foot of the castle. Here you will find a collection of buildings from around the Midlands which is now one of the most popular tourist attractions in the region!

Lady Godiva and Peeping Tom:

Lady Godiva was the wife of Earl Leofric of Mercia. The Earl was harsh on the people of Coventry and imposed heavy tolls. Lady Godiva pleaded to her husband to remove some of the tolls but he refused.

The Earl finally agreed to remove some of the tolls if Lady Godiva would ride naked through the town, from one end to the other. The Earl was surprised when she agreed to do so.

Lady Godiva, who had long hair, let it flow down to cover her body like a veil. Protected by two knights, she rode on horseback through Coventry and returned to the castle.

The Earl then removed the tolls from the people of Coventry.

Some tell the story that the Earl ordered everyone in the town to remain indoors and to not look out of their windows while Lady Godiva rode through the streets nude. If anyone looked, The Earl promised they would die. Everyone obeyed except for one individual named Tom. As Lady Godiva rode by his house he decided to take a peep out the window and was immediately struck blind by an act of God. Thereafter, he became known as 'Peeping Tom.'

Local Places to Visit:

• Sea World
• Brindley Place
• Cadbury World
• Warwick Castle
• Blenheim Palace
• Tamworth Castle
• Old Blacksley Hall
• Botanical Gardens
• Stratford upon Avon
• Drayton Manor Park & Zoo
• The Old Black Country Museum

Places To Eat:

15 minutes walk away there are plenty of shops & restaurants and close by is the "Shooting Star" Pub & Restaurant and MacDonald's.

Directions:

From Birmingham International Airport

Catch a black cab taxi just outside of the terminal or catch the (900) bus they run on the half hour, ask the bus driver to tell you when you come to the Swan Centre, we are a short walk down the road.

From The International Railway Station:

See directions above.

From Car Junction (4 M6):

To get to the guesthouse by car junction (4 M6) junction (6 M42) heading for Birmingham International Airport, straight on overhead set of traffic lights Sheldon, Wheatsheaf Hotel straight on Wagon & Horses public house, up the hill level out Macdonald's, Shooting Star Pub & Restaurant, row of shops, Michael's Super Market, row of houses, clay lane pedestrian crossing, we are in the pull in on the left.

From Birmingham City Centre:

Catch the (58 or 60) bus the bus stop is just round the corner from Marks & Spencers Store, then ask the driver to tell you when you are at the Swan Centre Yardley.

Map available & directions for central guesthouse.