Drone Videos of England's Midlands Region

Contributor and Marco Don created this brief but well done aerial video of Birmingham, England.  The city is in the West Midlands region of central Great Britain.  Birmingham is the center of the second largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom after London, and one of its main manufacturing centers.  The city played a critical role in England's Industrial Revolution, which is most promimently associated with the textile industry further north but which in many ways started in Birmingham.  

This is an aerial view of the Normanton Church in the UK's East Midlands region.  Normanton was flooded in the 70's to create the Rutland Water reservoir, part of a hydroengineering scheme that provides water as well as hydroelectric power water to the region.  Originally planned to be demolished to make way for the lake, but public protest eventually resulted in sufficient renovation to raise the structure and allow it to survive as an "island" on what is now one of the UK's largest artificial lakes.

Momofoto used a DJI Mavic Pro drone to create this outstanding aerial video of the Symands Yat Rock overlooking the Wye River Gorge in Herefordshire County in the West Midlands region of England.   In addition to the well-known rock formation, the area is known for its spectacular scenery including a significant raptor population.  The area is home to human artifacts that date to 12,000 years ago, and is just a short distance northwest of the rolling hills of the Cotswalds, one of the most popular spots in central England.

Peak District National Park is one of the great national treasures of the United Kingdom.  Established in 1951 as the country's first national park, it lies primarily within Derbyshire in the Midlands, although parts of it extend into counties of North West England as well as Yorkshire.  The park lies at the southern end of a chain of low mountains called the Pennines, whose "peaks" are really more like rounded hills.  With 20 million people living within an hour's drive of the park, it's one of the UK's top getaway destinations.

Moreton Castle is a ruined castle in the UK's West Midlands region.  It's near the small town of Moreton Corbet, which is in the county of Shropshire.  Built in the late 11th century, the castle was used to project Norman power, and was an important in the various dynastic struggles which took place during the formation of early modern England.  Content creator AS Aerial Cinema used a DJI Mavic Pro drone to create this magnificent aerial view of the castle ruins, which are protected as a heritage site under UK law.

Contributor and pilot AS Aerial Cinematics created this beautiful drone video of an important industrial landmark in England's West Midlands Region.  Cobb's Engine House, also known as the Windmill End Pumping Station, is located near the town of Rowley Regis.  It was built around a giant steam engine which pumped water from nearby mines, which supplied coal that fueled Britain's Industrial Revolution.  The station was closed in the 1920's, and its steam engine moved to an industrial museum in the USA.

Stafford Castle was first constructed as a wooden Norman fortress in 1100.  In the 14th century, it was rebuilt in stone and a keep was added, an early example of how fortresses became residential castles.  The castle is located in Staffordshire, in England's West Midlands.  Stafford fell into a nearly destroyed state before being extensively renovated beginning in the 1970's.   This drone video from AS Aerial Cinematics gives us an aerial perspective into the keep’s walls and into the region’s rich history. 

Contributor Droneworldflights used a DJI Phantom 4 drone to create this beautiful video of a ruined mansion in Worcestershire, England.  Witley Court was originally built in the 17th century, and converted in the 19th century into a mansion of the Italianate style.  It's in the town of Great Whitley, a small West Midlands town.  The building was damaged by a major fire in the 1930's, and it fell into ruined status when the ownership was broken up via inheritance.  

Stoke on Trent is an important industrial city in Staffordshire, part of England's West Midlands region.  It is indelibly associated with the pottery industry, and was once the indusputed world leader in pottery manufacturing.  The area is also known for steelmaking and coal mining, which once employed tens of thousands.  Today, the city retains its industrial heritage and is a center for complex manufacturing such as jet engines.  See the city from above in this drone video by bsteve.

Ludlow Castle is one of England's most famous.  It's situated on a hill overlooking the Teme River in Shropshire, in the West Midlands region.  It was built in the late 11th century by one of William the Conqueror's key lieutenans, Walter de Lacy.  The first English castle built partly from stone, it played a key role in the various dynastic struggles that followed, through the War of the Roses.  The castle was heavily damaged during the English Civil War of the mid-17th century but was later extensively restored.  

Contributor Tomtank used a DJI Mavic Drone to create this spectacular bird's eye view of Warwick Castle in the heart of England.  It's in Warwickshire, the West Midlands county which was the birthplace of William Shakespeare.  The original castle was built by the Norman conquerors, with the present castle being built on the same site in the 13th century.  It's located on a bend of the Avon River, and its strategic location made it an important strategic location during the Hundred Years War.  

Colin484 brings us this drone video of some famous ruins in the heart of England.  British Camp is an iron age fortress which is located atop one of the Malvern Hills in Worcestershire, in the West Midlands region.  It is thought to date to the 2nd century BC, well before the arrival of the Romans.  At times, castles have been built upon the site, testament to its strategic importance and defensability.  The site is a Scheduled National Monument and protected under UK preservation laws.

Trentham Estate is a historic country manor site in Staffordshire in the Midlands region of England.  Originally an Augustine priory dating to the Norman period, the current structure known as Trentham Hall was modeled after Buckingham Palace and was constructed in the 18th century.  Most of Trentham Hall was demolished on the eve of World War I.  Seen from above in this drone video by oszibusz, the site is now known primarily for its magnificent gardens, a major tourist attraction in the region.  

Check out this drone video of one of the most important castles in England's Midlands region, compliments of contributor Chris.  Bolsover Castle is situated in situated in Derbyshire, in the UK's East Midlands region.  The current Bolsover Castle structure dates to the 17th century, although it was constructed on the site of a much older structure.  Partially destroyed during the English Civil War, the castle was later restored.  It's now an English Heritage historical property.  

Check out this drone video of a well-known church in the English Midlands region, compliments of contributor Fozzie24.  It's the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, and it's located in the village of Hanbury in Worcestershire.  Located about a half hour drive south of Birmingham, the parish church dates to the early 13th century.  Most of the current structure was built in the 18th century in the Georgian style, although portions of the original structure remain.  The church is a Grade I listed building under UK preservation laws.  

Check out this fantastic drone video of a well-known abandoned site in the Midlands region of the United Kingdom, compliments of AirVuz contributor CoreyFPV.  He used a DJI Mavic Pro to film the Bass Maltings complex in Sleaford, which is part of Lincolnshire in the East Midlands region.  The site houses eight buildings originally constructed for the Bass Brewing Company in the early 20th century.  Closed since the 1950's, the buildings are protected as Grade II structures on the National Heritage List for England.

England's Midlands region played a key role in the Industrial Revolution which began in the late 18th century.  While the revolution is closely associated with the textile mills and mines of Northern England, the fact is that much of the equipment and industrial process knowledge evolved in places like Birmingham and Derby in the Midlands.  In this video, you'll get an aerial glimpse of England's industrial past in the form of an old factory in Nottinghamshire, courtesy of contributor jez gascoyne.

Contributor hittheroadlat used a Parrot Anafi to create this beautiful drone video of a famous climbing spot in central England.  It's called Stanage Edge, and it's a rock formation known as an escarpment in the Peak District, which is covers parts of Derbyshire in the Midlands as well as South Yorkshire.  Like other formations in the Peak District, the 25 meter (just over 80 ft.) ridge is a magnet for rock climbers.   The escarpment is formed from gritstone, a sandstone made of particularly coarse grains. 

It would be hard to find a more dramatic case of industrial decline than the coal industry of the UK.  At its peak just before World War I, the country's coal mines produced nearly three hundred million tons and employed an astounding 1.2 million.  Between depletion, international competition, and environmental regulation, the industry has virtually ceased to exist.  In this drone video by contributor Chris, you'll get an aerial glimpse of this storied past: the Clipstone Colliery in Nottinghamshire, which was closed in 2003. 

In this video, contributor and first person view (FPV) pilot Droneruk gives us an entirely new perspective on some of the UK's most famous rock formations.  England's Peak District, which lies primarily in Derbyshire of the East Midlands region, is the home of some of the most famous rocks in Great Britain.  The unique geological processes here led to some amazing limestone and gritstone outcrops and other formations, which are captured here via some very skillful long-range FPV piloting.    

Contributor andpilot ixnevin used a DJI Phantom 4 to create this marvelous aerial view of England's Peak District, an which mostly sits in County Derbyshire in the East Midlands region.  Most of the area is part of the Peak District National Park, the national park established in the United Kingdom.  The Peak District has inspired numerous authors and thereby earned a permanent place in British fiction: for example, some of the most important scenes of Jane Austen's 1813 classic Pride and Prejudice were set here.