VISITORS are being enticed to Bromsgrove and Droitwich Spa by the area's host of attractions.

VisitBritain says spending by international visitors in Herefordshire and Worcestershire rose by £1million last year.

So next time you have some spare time, why not take a look at the attractions and natural beauty on offer on the doorstep of the two towns.

Bromsgrove and Droitwich Spa both have fascinating histories and are surrounded by delightful areas to take a stroll in.

There was a village at Bromsgrove as long ago as the fifth or sixth century. The village, of Saxon origin, stood on the hill where the parish church now stands. Industry came early to Bromsgrove and in the 16th century the town's nail-making industry grew rapidly. It became the major industry of the town, with Bromsgrove the distribution centre for the country.

The area was also famous for its salt when it was found in Stoke Prior in 1825, and its works became the largest in the whole world.

Bromsgrove is also renowned for AE Housman, who was born in Fockbury and achieved fame as the author of A Shropshire Lad. The Housman Society now has members all over the UK and overseas and there is a trail which leads visitors to places of interest.

In Bromsgrove town centre you can follow the town trail which leads down from the top of the High Street near The Strand to Worcester Road.

Around the town itself there are a host of attractions, including Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings, in Stoke Heath, which houses fascinating buildings including a cockpit, windmill and icehouse. The collection is of old rescued buildings from across the country which have been restored and re-erected for all to see.

Nearby is Hanbury Hall and the Jinney Ring Craft Centre with its range of craft workshops.

Throughout the year many interesting activities take place within the area, including the Bromsgrove Folk Festival, Bromsgrove Carnival and the Elizabethan Street Market.

The Lickey Hills has one of the largest tracts of heathland in Worcestershire and is formed on some of the oldest rock in Britain. It is perfect for a picnic, walks through woodland and fauna and you can even feed the array of quaking ducks on the pond. There is also the Waseley Hills, near Rubery, and the Clent Hills nearby.

For a day out there are a vast array of lovely villages to discover, including Belbroughton, Barnt Green, Stoke Prior, Dodford and Bournheath.

Energetic residents have a heap of areas to enjoy such as Bromsgrove's Sanders Park, with its delightful open spaces, tennis courts and skateboard parks.

Canals also feature strongly in the towns.

The Worcester and Birmingham canal at Tardebigge has the longest continuous flight of locks in the country.

The canal also runs through the town centre in Droitwich and Vines Park is a great place for a stroll where you can see the wildfowl that can be found wandering along the canal banks.

The town trail at Droitwich Spa features the well-known brine baths. It is the underground brine spring that has given Droitwich its importance since the Iron Age. Here the therapeutic benefits of floating in heated salt water can be enjoyed by all.

Other attractions in the town centre are Norbury Theatre and the cobbled High Street which boasts shops nestled in listed buildings.

The lido and its park is another great attraction. Although it is closed at the moment, a new pool will open later this year.

Surrounding the Spa town centre are a host of pretty villages with lovely walks, especially Ombersley with its delightful pubs.

For garden lovers there is the well-known Webbs of Wychbold, which has everything you could need for the outside from bulbs and spades to pots and seeds.

So next time you think about going out for the day, why not stay closer to home and discover all the gems Bromsgrove and Droitwich Spa have to offer.