Heart of the Mercian kingdom

Best known as the home of Britain's first indoor snowslope, Tamworth's status as a post-war new town masks a long and unexpected history.  In the eighth and ninth centuries, the town housed one of the chief halls of the Mercian kingdom, and kings such as Offa are known to have spent Christmas and Easter there.  Nobody knows when the kings first moved in, but a reference to 'Tomtun' from a seventh century charter is most likely a reference to the town (Tamworth was often spelt Tomworth in early documents). 

The ford described in Well of Wyrd is now spanned by the Lady Bridge, while the lane leading from there to the town is The Holloway.  Both are fairly unspoilt.  The king's hall is most likely to have stood to the north of the church, but nothing has been uncovered to date.  Today's town centre is largely modern, but the castle, church and town hall are worth seeing. 

From 1830 to 1850, Sir Robert Peel was member of parliament for Tamworth.  He served twice as Prime Minister and, in 1829, he founded the Metropolitan Police Force in London.  This force served as a model for police forces all round the world, for which he became known as the 'father of modern policing'.  A statue of him stands before the town hall.

Scroll through the pictures below to see how Mercia's Dark-Age capital looks today.