What to do and see in Burton upon Trent, England: The Best Budget-friendly Things to do

A fascinating site that gives you a real chance to get to grips with the steam technology that drove the Industrial Revolution. Four large beam engines, nearly 30 other steam engines, large steam driven workshop where you can “have a go”. Only 1/4 mile from A38 Burton North junction. Brown signs from junction but not on A38. DE13 0DA.

Expanding from his already successful malting business, the first brewery was founded by John Marston at Horninglow in Burton-on-Trent, where Marston's™ soon developed a reputation for producing beers of the highest quality and taste.Rival brewers from London including Manns, Crossman and Paulin, who had the Albion Brewery built in 1874, relocated to Burton to take advantage of the very individual nature of the water.Towards the end of the century, when scientists started to claim that they could recreate Burton water artificially, the London brewers decided that transport costs could be now be saved, and returned to the capital.When Mann, Crossman & Paulin left town in 1897, they left behind arguably the best brewery in town. Following the merger with the Thompson's Brewery in 1897 Marston's moved into the Albion Brewery on Shobnall Road a year later. The Albion has been described as a 'cathedral of brewing'. A prime spot in the best brewing town in the world.The Albion Brewery was 'constructed according to the most approved model of modern times'. Pleasantly situated in rural surroundings, the brewery included a big cooperage, ale stores, stables, wells, its own railways sidings, and cottages to house selected employees. Marston's™ passion for cricket and dedication to its people is evident right from the beginning of its move to the Albion Brewery, as The Burton Mail of March 11th 1899 notes, 'the directors have given the cricketers a well laid out and well appointed field in which to carry the colours of the firm to victory'.The Albion Brewery was compact, efficient, and pleasing on the eye. Barnard visited in 1888, rating it as the ninth largest in the country by output. He described how all the large mains and pipes were laid along walls or under vessels, so as not to obstruct the light or 'mar the elegance of the building'. He commented on the purity of the water, and of the beer.

Hawksflight Falconry offers you the chance to get up close and personal with our Birds of Prey and Owl experiences. Our aim is to educate all ages into the beauty and magnificence of these raptors and Owls with a hands on and practical approach through a variety of illustrated talks and experiences.

Escape Time - Burton Upon Trent is a Real Life Escape Game experience. Gather a team of between 2 to 6 players and enter one of our locked themed rooms. Placing 60 minutes on the clock it is time to start solving puzzles, finding clues and seeing if you can Escape in Time?!

Re-opened in 2010, the Centre incorporates the former Bass Museum and tells the story of the birthplace of british beer, its people and the history of brewing in the UK. Our tour guides offer tours at 11.00am and 2.00pm, bringing stories to life. Sample some of the excellent real ales brewed at the Centre's Heritage Brewery or enjoy a bar meal or a full flagon banquet in our restaurant with a beer and food guide to help you appreciate the flavours of beer. The Centre's corporate and function rooms (and our 400 capacity permanent marquee) are set in the historic brewery buildings and offer a great venue for your company function, weddings, parties and social gatherings.

A day of adventure awaits at the National Forest Adventure Farm, whatever the weather. You can meet and feed the animals, explore the outdoor Funfield and have fun in the huge indoor play area. Meet a host of farm animals including pigs, sheep, cows and goats. In the spring and summer you can also bottle feed our lambs. You can cuddle a rabbit or guinea pig and see our more unusual animals such as alpaca, reindeer and chipmunks. We also have daily animal activities including pony grooming, milking demonstrations and egg collecting. The huge Funfield features a range of have a go activities including Go-Karts, assault course, mini golf, jumping pillow and in the summer the Water Splash Out. Why not take a tractor and trailer ride around the farm and look out for the scarecrows? The 3000m² indoor playbarn features a huge soft play area with demon drop slides. There's an under 5's area with a ball pit and giant Lego construction zone. Enjoy eating out or picnicking at one of our landscaped areas on sunny days, or in our airy 120-seat restaurant. In the summer, the Farm is home to a huge 10 acre maize maze. So take on the challenge of 3 miles of pathways, bridges and viewing towers.

Based in Burton's recently refurbished Victorian Market Hall, we offer chocolate making experiences for all ages & abilities. So what is The Kandy Factory? It's a place where you can have loads of fun making chocolately things. Think of it like 'paint-a-pot', but you can eat it and you get to take away everything you make on the day ! From bars, lollies and fun moulds, to popping candy pizzas, stiletto shoes, vanilla truffles & plaques. Our kids birthday parties are very popular, together with visits from groups such as Brownies & Cubs, Special needs groups, care homes & nurseries. Works outing & Hen dos are also popular. We also run a number of different workshops, such as making handmade chocolates, and also have a regular Thursday night 'Bring a Bottle' evening from 7pm to 9pm (advanced bookings only) where you can relax with friends while making something delicious to take away. As well as the chocolate and candy creations we also sell a range of sweets, plus hot & cold drinks including slushes, our Ultimate Hot Chocolate and range of yummy ice-cream milkshakes.

The Red Carpet Cinema & Cafe Bar is open from 10am until 11pm, 7 days a week. We are located at Barton Marina, Barton under Needwood DE13 8AS where there is free parking and some lovely shops and walks around the lakes You can eat brunch, lunch or dinner in the Cafe Bar or just pop in for coffee or a drink without watching a film. You can also watch a film in one of our little cinemas (you don’t need to be eating with us to book a cinema seat). You can also book our Film and Food Night Out which consists of a two course meal in our cafe bar followed by the film of your choice