‘Little piece of heaven’ near Birmingham with adventure and art around every corner

It’s rare to find a day out as fulfilling in adventure for children as it is to adults. Yet on Birmingham outskirts, I’ve found a glorious escape that’s got a bit of everything – fun, nature, an exciting world to explore and one of the biggest art parks in the UK.

Compton Verney’s history is like something out of a movie. Cultured millionaire Sir Peter Moores of Littlewoods Pools fame bought the run-down Warwickshire country pile with his foundation in 1993, bequeathing it to be used to display art for ever more.

The philanthropist made this corner of Warwickshire countryside a child-friendly, lasting legacy to the public, and it has flourished into something spectacular over the past two decades.

Not only has it become internationally renowned since opening in 2004, but it has just been shortlisted as one of the five best art museums in the UK as a finalist for the Art Fund Museum of the Year 2025 prize.

It’s more than just art too with events like the annual Digbeth Dining Club takeover drawing in crowds to the beautiful grounds on Saturday May 31 and trails that include a meadow overflowing with poppies during June and July.

It may look traditional as you wind your way towards the grand Grade-I listed Robert Adam mansion, but the closer you get, you realise Compton Verney is so much more than meets the eye. Historic yet modern, classic yet quirky and thoroughly enchanting – it’s a little piece of heaven.

Modern statues dotted around 120 acres of Capability Brown parkland make it a natural adventure playground for children and an intriguing walk for everyone else. There’s something to see around every corner, even a historic ice house and old fountains interlaced with contemporary fittings.

The Sculpture in the Park exhibition until May 2027 fits in with its ethos of making art accessible to all, connecting people with it along with nature, and creativity. I thought I’d pop over for an hour or so but spent most of the day there, drawn into seeing its six world-class art collections, the sculpture park, and a really wonderful café.

Dazzling me early on was Louise Bourgeois’ famous Spider sculpture but inside, I found a rat run of rooms with so much more – plus fantastic cakes and sandwiches in the ground floor café.

There’s riveting cutting-edge temporary modern art displays but also permanent rooms full of ancient Chinese bronzes and terracotta where a goofy looking horse looks more like something out of a Disney movie.

Up in the huge, converted attic of this grand old house is the UK’s largest collection of folk art and countless eclectic artefacts that prove a delight for all ages. Fascinating objects created by Suffragettes to old pub signs. They tell me they only keep a handful of things in storage as they prefer to “have everything out” rather than hidden away.

For those into their art, there’s classic Neapolitan art from the golden age of Baroque painting and Compton Verney has displayed everyone from Chila Kumari Singh Burman to Sarah Lucas, Permindar Kaur and Larry Achiampong.

Multimedia works by acclaimed Stourbridge-born artist Emma Talbot for a How We Learn To Love exhibition will be here from July 5 to October 5.

Compton Verney is very child-friendly

Compton Verney is busy with mums and children while I’m there mid-week, many just enjoying a spot on the grass while their kids explore. It may be because annual membership works out a cheaper option for regular visits. It already has 12,000 members making the most of this.

It’s very child-friendly with a play room where youngsters can even draw on the walls. There’s even Wonder Wednesdays, when grown-ups can drop-in between 10.30am and 2.30pm during term time to be curious and creative with their under-fives with a play assistant.

Verdict

It was hard to pull myself away from this glorious and intriguing attraction. It’s got a world class art gallery, but the huge park around it and creative, laid back atmosphere is what raises it to another level. Compton Verney is a treasured day out that should be top of everyone’s wish list.

When is Compton Verney open and how much does it cost?

Compton Verney is open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm. Day tickets prebooked online are £21.95 or £23.95 at the gate with gift aid, but there are a variety of concessions available. Children aged 18 and under have free entry. It costs £2 for those receiving Universal Credit or Pension Credits and there are discounts for visitors arriving by public transport, foot or cycling.

For tickets and more information visit www.comptonverney.org.uk.

Where is Compton Verney?

Find Compton Verney off the B4086 off Junction 12 of the M40 near Stratford-upon-Avon. Use postcode CV35 9HZ to find it.

What’s on at Compton Verney’s - events and exhibitions

Emii Alrai: River of Black Stone – now until Sunday 15 June 2025

Inspired by the disruptive nature of volcanic eruption and the paintings of Vesuvius in our Naples collection, Emii Alrai weaves together ancient mythologies, research and nostalgia as critical response to our times, as pictured above.

Towering Dreams: Extraordinary Architectural Drawings – now until Sunday 31 August 2025

Let your imagination soar as Towering Dreams explores how architects of the 18th and early 19th centuries understood the world around them and the ideas and cultures that inspired them.

Creative activities for May half term - Saturday 24 May 2025 – Sunday 1 June 2025

There’ll be creative activities for all ages. Have a go at being an Arty Architect, to create your own fantasy building using loose parts, glue guns and recycled materials. Kineton RAF STEM are also back with design and engineering fun. Children can get mucky at The Family Forest School while building bird nests, decorating clay eggs and mixing up muddy delights. See the website for dates and times.

Digbeth Dining Club Summer Take-over - Saturday 31 May 2025

The Birmingham food and drink specialists offer a mix of award-winning street food while families are treated to live entertainment from midday to 6pm. Tickets are from £5.

Potfest by the Lake – Friday 20 June 2025 – Sunday 22 June 2025

Showcasing some of the UK’s finest ceramicists, this popular fair features pottery demonstrations along with displays of porcelain, stoneware, slipware, sculpture, figurative work and homewares. Tickets start at £7.50.

Celebrating Folk – Saturday 28 June 2025

Co-produced with community groups based around Warwickshire, this is a day dedicated to folk art, music and storytelling. Expect to move, make, and meet creatives. Share your own stories and hear more about the objects and customs that are part of our rich, living folk culture.

Emma Talbot: How We Learn to Love – Saturday 5 July – Sunday 5 October 2025

Oe of the UK’s most exciting contemporary artists, Emma Talbot, returns to the Midlands with her largest UK exhibition to date. Through vivid silk paintings, emotive sculpture, lyrical text, and immersive animations, How We Learn to Love is an unflinching exploration of life’s biggest themes – love, loss, power, nature, and the unknown.

Commodities: Sculpture and Ceramics by Renee So – Saturday 20 September 2025 – Sunday 8 March 2026

Hong Kong-born artist, Renee So considers the trade of goods and ideas between China and the West, and how perceptions of this history have been distorted and re-fashioned, largely by western preconceptions and orientalism.

The Shelter of Stories: Ways of Telling, Ways of Dwelling – Saturday 25 October 2025 – Sunday 22 February 2026

Curated by writer Marina Warner, this exhibition explores the art of storytelling, its close relationship with the sense of home and belonging, and its vital role in times of upheaval and displacement.