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Meriden Tourist Information


The village of Meriden is situated between Coventry and Solihull in the West Midlands. It claims to be at the centre of England and there is a 500-year old pillar on the village green which marks the point.

With modern technology the Ordnance Survey has since found the exact centre of England to be about 11 miles further north, on Lindley Hall Farm in Fenny Drayton.

The surrounding countryside which separates Coventry from the metropolis of Birmingham is known as the Meriden Gap.

There is some evidence that Meriden was settled in prehistoric times and it was possibly the site of an Iron Age field system.

The 12th century Parish Church is dedicated to St Lawrence, a martyr in 3rd century Rome. It has a Norman chancel with a small square tower topped with a golden weathercock. It was thought to have been founded by benefactor Lady Godiva.

There are many historic moated farmhouses and timber-framed houses in the area such as the 16th century Moat House in Meriden village.

Meriden was once the home of Triumph motorbikes with a factory in what is now called Bonneville Close. A plaque commemorates the site.

In 1941, after the Triumph factory in Coventry had been destroyed in a bombing raid, it reopened in Meriden. Steve McQueen and other team members of the International Six Day Trial came to Meriden in 1964 to collect their specially prepared Triumph motorcycles.

Actor, Richard Gere, also remembers picking up his new Triumph motorbike in the mid 1970s.

In 1973 the factory was threatened with closure and the workers blockaded the site. They eventually got a Government loan to run the factory as the Meriden Workers Co-operative. It ran until 1983 and then closed after this the factory was demolished.

There is a new Triumph company now based in Hinckley.


Present Day Meriden

Present day Meriden, with its 2,700 population, is conveniently close to the Birmingham International Airport and five miles from the Birmingham National Exhibition Centre (NEC).

The pretty village centre overlooks the green and has a few local shops and small businesses.

The area is popular with cyclists and there is a memorial in the village to all cyclists who died during World War I. An annual service of remembrance for them is held each year in the village. The memorial obelisk was first unveiled in May 1921 and the event was attended by over 20,000 cyclists.

The death metal punk band Napalm Death was founded by two teenagers in Meriden in 1981. They released 14 albums and became one of the top selling death metal bands in the U.S.


Things to Do Around Meriden

Meriden is a great place for walkers. It is on the Heart of England Way, a 100-mile long distance footpath.

The Cotswolds are nearby with charming villages, scenic drives, footpaths and cycle routes around the delightful area.

Visit the Grade II listed monument which is said to mark the exact centre of England. The mediaeval sandstone cross stands on the village green and is said to be 500 years old.

Kenilworth Castle with its Tudor building and Norman keep is about seven miles away and the extensive Warwick Castle is 12 miles distance.

 

Directions
Show map of Meriden...


Attractions near Meriden
National Motorcycle Museum (4 Miles)*
The National Motorcycle Museum is recognised as the finest and largest motorcycle museum in the world. It is a place where "Legends Live On".
Coventry Transport Museum (5 Miles)*
Coventry is the birthplace of British road transport and the Museum displays the largest collection of British cars, buses, cycles and motorcycles in the world, it is designated as a collection of national importance
Coventry Cathedral (5 Miles)*
The original Cathedral Church of St Michael was destroyed on the night of 14th November 1940 by incendiary bombs. Basil Spence's new Cathedral, consecrated in 1962, is a triumphant statement of Resurrection and life.
more attractions in Meriden and things to do in Meriden ...
* Distances shown are in a direct line. Distances by road will be longer.

What's near Meriden

Attractions:
  National Motorcycle Museum  2 Miles
  Kenilworth Castle  5 Miles
  Coventry Transport Museum  6 Miles
more attractions in Meriden...
 
Towns:
  Great Packington  1 Mile
  Little Packington  2 Miles
  Maxstoke  2 Miles
more towns near Meriden...
 
Estate Agents:
  John Shepherd  3 Miles
  Bairstow Eves Central  5 Miles
  Burchell Edwards  5 Miles
Hotels:
  Strawberry Bank Hotel  <1 Mile
  Marriott Forest of Arden Hotel and Country Club  <1 Mile
  Marriott Forest of Arden Hotel and Country Club Golf Package  <1 Mile
more hotels in Meriden area...
 
Bed and Breakfast:
  The Hollies Guest House  2 Miles
  G&G B&B  3 Miles
  Fillongley Manor  4 Miles
more bed and breakfasts near Meriden...
 
Self Catering:
  Little Beanit Farm Cottage  3 Miles
  Sykes Barns  4 Miles
  Sykes Barns  4 Miles
more self catering near Meriden...
 
Campsites:
  Somers Wood Caravan Park  1 Mile
  West Midlands Water Ski Centre  10 Miles
  Dayhouse Farm Fishery  17 Miles
TIC: Birmingham (Nec) The Atrium Tourist Information Centre     Tel: 0121 202 5099  3 Miles



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Towns near Meriden
Great Packington Tourist Information (1 Mile)*
Little Packington Tourist Information (2 Miles)*
Maxstoke Tourist Information (2 Miles)*
more towns near Meriden...
* Distances shown are in a direct line. Distances by road will be longer.

Hotels near Meriden
Manor Hotel (1 Mile)*
Dating back to 1745, this elegant Georgian manor, situated in the very heart of England makes the ideal base for exploring Stratford, Warwick, Leamington, Coventry, Birmingham and the surrounding areas.
Strawberry Bank Hotel (1 Mile)*
Strawberry Bank is a homely hotel and restaurant in picturesque Meriden, near Coventry. The NEC, Birmingham International Airport and the M42 are less than 5 minutes away. The family-owned Strawberry Bank has an acre of peaceful gardens.
Marriott Forest of Arden Hotel and Country Club (1 Mile)*
Forest of Arden, A Marriott hotel + Country Club, has recently completed stunning £5 million refurbishment, is set in the heart of the midlands amongst the rural Warwickshire countryside.
more Meriden hotels (and nearby)...
* Distances shown are in a direct line. Distances by road will be longer.

Self Catering near Meriden
Sykes Barns (3 Miles)*
Set in rural Warwickshire,and located on Church Lane Corley Sykes Barns are a complex of five two bedroom converted barn apartments.
Sykes Barns (3 Miles)*
Set in rural Warwickshire, Sykes Barns are a complex of five two bedroom converted barn apartments.
Your property could be here
Advertising your self catering property or holiday cottage on AboutBritain.com will get you noticed by thousands of potential guests every day.
more self catering near Meriden ...
* Distances shown are in a direct line. Distances by road will be longer.

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