Tamworth

Driving into Tamworth is not particularly exciting. In fact Paul calls the area “The Flatlands” as there is not a hill for miles. Originally from Stourbridge in the Black Country I have lived here many years now, as it is an easy commute to Birmingham and surrounding Midlands cities. Being centrally situated and on the banks of the River Tam also gives rise to Tamworth’s rich history.

 The capital of the Mercian Kingdom until it was razed by the Vikings in 874. It then became the border town of Daneland and Mercia. The Mercian warrior Aethelflaed, vanquished the Vikings in 913 and re-established Tamworth as the capital of Mercia once again. Tamworth became the holding area for the great armies of Mercia and Wessex in preparation for the battle of Tattenhall (near modern day Wolverhampton). This battle finally drove the Vikings out of the area completely. Aethelflaed, who became known as the Lady of Mercia, finally merged Wessex and Mercia as per her fathers (Alfred the Great) wishes to start the formation of one England. The iconic Aethelflaed Monument stands today at the foot of Tamworth Castle just through the Gatehouse.

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Visiting The Castle you get a real sense of Tamworth’s rich history. It is interesting to see how the Saxons, Normans, Tudors and Victorians lived. Relatively recently Mercia found fame again, with the discovery of the Staffordshire Hoard, the largest collection of Saxon gold ever unearthed. Some 18 pieces or more are held within Tamworth Castle. In the summer months Castle Grounds park with its magnificent raised flower beds and iconic bandstand are worth a visit also.

Tamworth is also famous for its pigs. The breed is believed to have originated in Ireland in 1809 when Tamworth’s famous second baronet Sir Robert Peel (1788 – 1850) discovered a breed of pig known as an ‘Irish Grazer’, and had several of the animals imported to England to the Peel Estate, Drayton Manor. You can now see these not so little piggies rolling in the dirt as you drive out of Tamworth. They all have individual stys and are certainly free range. Two of the pigs escaped on their way to an abattoir in 1998. Having squeezed through a fence and swum the River Avon, they went on the run! When the press got hold of the story the pigs were nicknamed Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Pig. The pigs were eventually captured, saved from slaughter, and repatriated to The Rare Breeds Centre, an animal sanctuary near Ashford in Kent.

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There is an Ice Dome, many eateries, canal walks, Drayton Manor Theme Park and a Food and Drinks Festival once a year, even Paul visits for that! So don’t listen to Paul, come and visit Tamworth.