Around 260,000 people live in Wolverhampton, a city named after noble woman Wulfrun who founded the original settlement in 985.

The city became known for its wool industry and then as a centre for coal mining and steel production.

It is a major city in the Black Country - so named because of the amount of smoke produced by factories in the area.

Another key industry over the years has been bicycles, while today there is an important aerospace sector.

A number of Irish people settled in Wolverhampton after the country's potato famine, with one in eight of the population said to have emigrated from Ireland by 1851.

Queen Victoria visited Wolverhampton in the 1830s and remarked about the friendly welcome she received.

Wightwick Manor and Gardens

Wightwick Manor was gifted to the National Trust by West Midlands industrialist Geoffrey Mander.

It is a Victorian manor house which is situated just three miles away from Wolverhampton.

Today, it is home to a fantastic art collection, as well as a flower-filled garden.

Birmingham is the second largest city in the United Kingdom and home to more than one million people.

It began life as a small Saxon settlement and market town, before thriving during the industrial revolution and becoming the "engine room of the UK".

The city boasts a famed canal network, which at 35 miles is said to be longer than the acclaimed waterways of Venice.

It is the most culturally diverse city in the UK, with around 45 per cent of people from an ethnic minority.

In addition, Birmingham is the youngest city in Europe as around 40 per cent of the population is aged 25 and below.

Today, Birmingham boasts world class food, culture, music, theatre, shopping and accommodation.

It is a major tourist destination and a host of important sporting events, including the Commonwealth Games in 2022.

Famous faces include Black Sabbath rock legend Ozzy Osbourne, Lord of the Rings author J.R.R Tolkien and ELO musician Jeff Lynne.

Cadbury World

Cadbury's World is a must for chocolate lovers with visitors able to learn all about the world famous company which has its roots in Birmingham.

The Cadbury family created the village of Bournville for its original factory workers to live in, with the brand still going strong.

Visitors can find out how chocolate bars are made and experience attractions such as the 4D chocolate adventure and playing in chocolate rain.

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery first opened in 1885.

It includes more than 40 galleries that display art, applied art, social history, archaeology and ethnography.

The attraction will partially reopen on April 28, 2022 as it is currently closed due to electrical works.

Walsall is a town in the West Midlands of around 68,000 people which was a small village until the industrial revolution left its mark.

A number of products were made, most notably saddles and leather for which Walsall is internationally acclaimed.

Saddles for Queen Elizabeth II and leather for Prince Charles are still made in the town, continuing a tradition of more than two centuries.

People speak with the "Yam Yam" dialect heard across the Black Country.

The name Walsall is thought to have derived from the words "Walh halh".

This means "valley of the Welsh speakers" and is after the first British people who lived in the area.

Walsall Arboretum is home to various wildlife and plants, covering an area of 170 acres. 

This includes more than 10,000 different species of trees and shrubs, with the site first opening in 1874.

The New Art Gallery in Walsall welcomes visitors from all over the world to witness “historic, modern and contemporary art in innovative and challenging ways”.

Walsall Leather Museum

Walsall Leather Museum immerses guests in the town's leather-making past.

Visitors can enjoy demonstrations of products being made alongside exhibitions and galleries.

You can also find out what it was like to work in the leather industry a century ago.

Coventry is a city of more than 370,000 people which has significant history in the bicycle and motoring industries. 

The city was significantly damaged during the Second World War, with only the shell structure of St Michael's Cathedral remaining.

Like Birmingham, Coventry has a multicultural population.

The expression "true blue" was born in the city due to 14th century cloth being dyed "Coventry blue" and becoming extremely popular.

The phrase "sent to Coventry" came from the English Civil War, when captured Royalists were imprisoned in the heavily fortified and strongly pro-Parliament city.

According to legend, Lady Godiva rode naked through the city in the 13th century in support for those being taxed by her husband.

Everyone was asked to stay inside but "Peeping Tom" disobeyed the order.

Coventry Transport Museum

Coventry Transport Museum celebrates the city's motoring past and has the biggest collection of British made cars, motorcycles and bicycles in the world.

It is home to the world's two fastest cars - Thrust SSC and Thrust 2.

Interactive galleries are part of the museum, which includes touring exhibitions from across the globe.

Solihull is a major town with a population of more than 123,000 people.

Apparently named because its parish church lay on a "soily hill", the town is known as the home of Land Rover and has been listed as one of the best places to live in the UK.

The town centre features historic architecture, including timber framed Tudor houses and shops.

It is situated on land which used to be the Forest of Arden and is home to two green flag status parks - Malvern and Brueton.

The current borough includes the civil parishes of Balsall, Barston, Berkswell, Castle Bromwich, Chelmsley Wood, Fordbridge, Hampton-in-Arden, Hockley Heath, Kingshurst and Meriden.

Land Rover Experience

The Land Rover Experience allows visitors to test drive the company's famous vehicles over 14 miles of terrain.

Off-road driving challenges can take place for an hour, a half-day or a full day.

The driving can be complemented with behind-the-scenes factory tours, where visitors can learn how the vehicles are made.

Sandwell is a metropolitan borough consisting of the towns of  Oldbury, Rowley Regis, Smethwick, Tipton, Wednesbury and West Bromwich, which serves as the administrative centre.

It is home to nearly 330,000 people and is named after Sandwell Priory.

The borough was founded in 1974, with West Bromwich known for its past in coal, iron and brick making.

As well as its industrial past, Sandwell is home to 1,200 hectares of parks, playing fields and open spaces. 

The ‘jewel in the crown’, Sandwell Valley Country Park, has rolling countryside as far as the eye can see, two working farms, a huge playground and mountain bike trails to enjoy while the Sandwell Valley RSPB reserve is a UNESCO site of geological importance.

The town is another to have a multicultural feel, with notable Indian and Caribbean populations arriving in the 1950s and 1960s.

Wednesbury Museum and Art Gallery

Wednesbury Museum and Art Gallery is housed in a purpose built Victorian building. It is home to fine art, old toys and one of the world's largest collections of Ruskin pottery.

"Nostalgia rooms" showcase everyday items which were used in the 1960s and 1970s.

A number of temporary exhibitions and activities are also put on display.

Dudley has been proclaimed as the capital of the Black Country and has a population of around 80,000 people.

It is considered as one of the places where the industrial revolution began and enjoyed thriving production of coal, iron and glass.

The anchor for the Titanic was made in Dudley in 1911, while Lord of the Rings writer J.R.R Tolkien was inspired by the town and based locations in his books around it.

Dudley was heavily bombed during World War Two.

The Metropolitan Borough of Dudley also contains the towns of Stourbridge and Halesowen.

Black Country Living Museum

History is brought to life at the open-air Black Country Living Museum which takes visitors back to the very start of industrial Britain.

The attraction includes historic characters and reconstructed shops, houses and pubs.

Live demonstrations, old games and vintage cinema is also featured.