Waseley Hills
Waseley Hills Country Park is 150 acres (0.61 km2) a Country Park and Local Nature Reserve owned and managed by Worcestershire County Council's Countryside Service. It consists of rolling open hills with old hedgerows, pastures and small pockets of woodland with panoramic views over Worcestershire, England.
It is just south-west of Birmingham, close to Junction 4 of the M5 Motorway, from which it is signposted. The North Worcestershire Path and Illey Way long distance paths run through the park. The park contains the source of the River Rea. The hills form part of the watershed between the Rea valley and that of the river Salwarpe, and thus between the catchments of the rivers Trent and Severn.
Bartley Reservoir
Bartley Reservoir is a reservoir for drinking water in Birmingham, England. It covers 460,000 square metres.
The reservoir is about 0.65 miles long, over 450m wide, and about 60 feet (18 m) deep at the dam. Its surface area is 110 acres (0.45 km2).
It is known as the place where Bill Oddie did much of his early birdwatching, and features in his books (notably Bill Oddie's Gone Birding) and television programmes. His first ever published article, for the West Midland Bird Club's annual report, was about the birds of the reservoir. The reservoir is also home to Bartley Sailing Club.
Senneleys Park, Bartley Green
At 65 acres, Senneleys Park is one of the city’s largest.
But it’s also rather cut off.
Drive round the area and it’s hard to spot. Once inside, though, you won’t want to leave any time soon – even if you wander off the beaten track like I did and then wonder if you are in the English winter wonderland equivalent of jungle quicksand.
Peer down from above using Google Maps’ satellite images, you will see that it’s about as large as the nearby Weoley Castle estate and Bartley Reservoir.
Senneleys was always used for public events like firework displays.
And its playing fields and cross country running routes have a proud history.
One of the traffic free loops in the park is 1.8 miles, easily extendible.
There’s a new skateboard facility at its heart, too.
And some other new playground equipment that has been fenced imaginatively.
Sutton Park
Sutton Park is a large urban park located in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, West Midlands, England. Most of the park is a National Nature Reserve; large parts are also a Scheduled Ancient Monument. Sutton Park is one of the largest urban parks in the United Kingdom. The park covers more than 2,400 acres (970 ha) according to one source, or 2,200 acres (900 ha) according to another. It consists of a mix of heathland, wetlands and marshes, seven lakes, extensive ancient woodlands (covering approximately a quarter of the park), several restaurants, a private 18-hole golf course on its western edge and a municipal golf course to the south, a donkey sanctuary, children's playgrounds and a visitors' centre. There is no entrance charge to the Park, however there is a parking charge for cars on Saturdays and Sundays during the summer. A wide range of leisure activities are undertaken in the park including dog walking, pony treking, bike riding and kite flying and there are areas to fly model aeroplanes and helicopters. Additionally, a railway line runs through the park.
Northfield Manor Farm Park
Manor Farm Park was once the grounds of Northfield Manor House. It comprises a 50-acre open space with woodlands, meadows and a lake, created by damming Griffins Brook. Merritt's Brook also crosses the park.
There is a wooden picnic barn built for visiting schoolchildren in 1894.
The park opened to the public in 1951.
Can you find this hidden gem there?
The Leasowes
The Leasowes /ˈlɛzəz/ is a 57-hectare (around 141 acre) estate in Halesowen, historically in the county of Shropshire, England, comprising house and gardens. The parkland is now listed Grade Ion English Heritage's Register of Parks and Gardens and the home of the Halesowen Golf Club.[1] The name means "rough pasture land"
