West Midlands attraction named UK's top tourist spot, outshining theme parks and castles

A rising star has emerged from the West Midlands, recently crowned as the nation's top tourist attraction, outshining theme parks, castles and Royal residences.

Every year, VisitEngland hosts its esteemed Awards for Excellence, honouring the crème de la crème of English tourism. One of the most sought-after awards is Large Visitor Attraction of the Year - and this year, the accolade has been awarded to an unexpected winner: The Black Country Living Museum in Dudley.

Spanning 29 acres, this open-air museum brings 250 years of industrial history in the region to life, offering a raw and immersive glimpse into the soot, steam and steel that shaped modern Britain.

Visitors can amble along cobbled streets, pop into reconstructed pubs and shops, and engage with costumed characters from every era of the Black Country's colourful past.

If you've ever pondered exactly where the Black Country is, it's the part of the West Midlands that fuelled the Industrial Revolution - all furnaces, foundries and famously robust accents.

The museum recently finished a £30 million redevelopment, its most ambitious project since 1978.

The updates extend the historical journey to include the 1940s through the 1960s, showcasing postwar culture, vintage technology, and evolving social attitudes, reports the Express.

There's even a coal mine to explore - and what some argue to be the best fish and chips in the region.

Peaky Blinders enthusiasts will instantly recognise this spot - it's a prime filming location for the hit series, inviting you to pop on a flat cap and embrace your inner Tommy Shelby.

The attraction boasts an impressive 4.4-star rating on Tripadvisor, based on over 6,000 reviews.

Lilith G shared: "Beautiful place. All the actors had so much information to offer. The guy in the hardware store even had a four candels/fork handles joke ready."

Choxbird reported: "I spent a few hours here on a recent visit ... Its an excellent museum with lots to see as you walk round ... I even did the 30 min tour down the mine which was very informative .. There are old buses and trams to ride around on too ... A good day out."

Meanwhile, Angela recalled: "We have had a fantastic day out. While the price has increased since the last time we visited it has definitely been worth it. So much has changed and been added."

Merely a stone's throw from Birmingham, with the bonus of free returns during the day included in your entry fee, visitors commonly allocate about five hours to take in all that's up for grabs.

Not just a journey through history, but also a treat for seafood lovers—Dudley's Black Country Living Museum is making waves in tourism.