One of Birmingham's lesser known parks, and all the better for it, if you ask me! We really are…read moreblessed / spoiled over in the south of the city when it comes to parks - there seems to be one every few hundred yards - from large, countryside-equse open spaces like Warley Woods and the Lickeys, to ornate urban parks like Cannon Hill Park. This place is a little of both - the large open space that dominates it provides a lovely respite from the bustle of Harborne, and the gardens that border it are well kept and a legacy of the park's Victorian roots. A great little park - much recommended!

Queens Park is one of Birmingham's best parks in my opinion, its very secluded and not very known…read moreabout and all the better for it! We don't have many great outdoor spaces in Harborne so its a great place for young children, teenagers and adults too. Its has a great open large space, people come here to play football, tennis (has 2 tennis courts), basketball (has a basketball court). Has a playground area for young children. Very popular with dog walkers, joggers and cyclists. Ive been here day and night and never had any trouble, the gardens are well kept and very pretty in every season. There is 2 car parks available on site which is free, space available for disabled vehicles too. A great little park!

Recently took my son to the park and for an ice cream and had a slow walk around the arboretum,…read moremany people don't realise how lucky Walsall is to still have an arbo as there aren't many around these days.

What a beautiful place to take the kids. The boating lake is fun as long as the kids are chilled…read more The play area has lots of things to keep the kids entertained for hours. Walking the dog whilst the kids are at school is like being in heaven at the arbo.

You can get to the farm from main sandwell valley site. You can take the one mile woodland walk…read morethere. This route is not suitable for people who have difficulties walking. Alternativly you can drive around to there which is much quicker. You first see a a small childrens playground and there are a few pinic benches there. Then there is a shop which sells fresh barn eggs and all of your snacks. Also all of your merchandise.Animal food is there to buy to. Then you come into the courtyard and there are goats infront of you and to your left are ponies and chickens. You then move into the farm a bit and there are loads of cows where you can feed an there are chickens that you can feed. Thats about it. Then there is the walkway to the main site There is plenty parking at the park and the farm. Parking is also free. There is no bus link or anything like that, that takes you directly to the park or farm. To get to the park take a bus and get off on the main road and its a short walk from there (sorry I cant be anymore accurate) Its free to get in and drinks and snacks cheap and animal food is 15p. ***** Suitable for toddlers and very young children and it will only pass an hour away if you decide to only visit the farm. A no no if you are looking for a good day out. *IMPORTANT :: This review is about the farm not the main site. This farm may not appeal to older children but if you go to Sandwell valley park. There is more to do.

Sandwell Valley Country Park is made up of lots of different areas and activities. It is also…read moreattached to Dartmouth Park, so it is easy to wander between the two. Where to begin? Well, there are two farms: Sandwell Park Farm and Forge Mill Farm (worthy of reviews in their own right). Then there is the nature reserve and RSPB bird reserve. There's an awesome adventure playground and a Close to the Edge aerial assault course (which looks, frankly, terrifying). I love how there is a little vintage double decker bus that gives rides around the showground area. Last time I was there, a guy was training an owl and doing a bit of an impromptu falconry demonstration. The woodland areas are beautiful and very peaceful to walk around, although I still get spooked out by the stories of the Sandwell Valley witches and ghost monks that I got told when I was a kid!

Not the greatest of parks truth be told and its not a park I go to that often. I guess you could…read moresay this is a park for children who are under the age of nine although there are skateboard ramps for skateboarders out there. The park is right behind Hill Top Library (B70 0RZ) as well as the Hill Top Community Centre. There is a field close by where you can go for a jog or even take your mates along and play football. There are also basketball courts as well so if you do fancy a game basketball, then you might want to go to Hill Top Park. I wouldn't it is a fantastic park but its not the worst. If you are local and have any children, this park is OK for those that want to go on the swings, go on the slides or even climb the monkey bars.

been here twice now for a run, it is a typical large park with road track for people go to the…read moreother end or for jogging. there are many kids play and also sports arena like cricket and volley. It is occasionally use for carnival on weekend this is the only decent running park in the area unfortunately running is not popular around this area (Washwood Heath, Small Heath, Saltley). I guess it's true when they say there were very few runner in Birmingham. the pond is nice with ducks floating or resting on the track-side but it is so dirty filled with dirt and bottles. It really needs some cleaning

This is a large park to come to for all sorts of activities. It has a steep hill/slope leading to…read moreits lower ground (at one point of entry) there is swings and climbing frames here, climbing the spider web to the top can reveal some of Birmingham beauties like the city centre and beyond. There is also a small basket ball/football enclosure there for the adults/kids to play. Right next to that is the community youth centre. At the upper part of the park is a huge divided into two parts of land, both sides are where sporting activities mainly take place like football and cricket. This is also where joggers and dog owners go to leisurely. There is also a medium sized pond at the bottom of the upper part of the part where there is ducks and fishes. Fishermen are there sometimes. Right beside the pond is the tennis court which is of a decnt size.

I live close by and its a great place to go for a nice walk, small play area for the kids, also the…read morerailway that normally runs twice a week, at the moment the lake doesn't have that much water in as earlier this year was emptied to do repairs on the dam, the work now has been done and is filling up naturally, will be around 2012 before completely full again. see some pics and details at my site at http://www.kevinsimon.co.uk/?p=274

I agree with marg - a great place for a day out, whether you want to picnic, see or ride the…read moretrains, bring your boat or just walk your dog. There are two places for refreshment, a book/nic-nac store (inside a train carriage), plus a toy shop.

Since getting a dog we are always looking for dog friendly places and Himley Halls grounds are…read moreperfect! They have parking (£1.80 all day), Golf course & hire, cafe, toilets and even water bowls for the thirsty doggies. Beautiful walks and even got a stream you can trek along. The food in the cafe is basic but good. My only criticism was the toilets where closed so we had quite a walk to get to the other toilets located by the hall. My mom has trouble getting around and nearly had to go in the bushes lol. Thankfully we got there in time! Overall great place for anyone who likes a good trek and ideal for dog owners.

Located in the old grounds of Himley Hall which was the home of the Earl of Dudley . Theres…read moreopenland , woods , fishing lake and a public golf course . They have many big events here such as the usual bonfire night but also music events , wedding fairs etc .

Visited Handsworth Carnival here for a few hours on Saturday afternoon and was surprised just how…read moremuch the event has changed! Gone are the days of jerk chicken being served on every street corner and road blocks caused by giant sound systems....now this is an alltoether more tame experience....even family fun. The event was previously free and the organisers have also started charging £5 in. There is a festival style stage with a few stalls but overall I was pretty unimpressed with both the quality of the site and also the lack of diversity with the musical offerings. It was nice to eat some chicken in the sun with my brother and a mate but I think this will be the last year I go to Handsworth Carnival. Wait for Notting Hill......its stupidly good, huge and so much more interesting.

Despite getting international recognition through the widespread acclaim of reggae band Steel…read morePulse's album Handsworth Revolution in the late Seventies, much of the area can feel neglected, with investment going to other parts of the city. I am happy to report that Handsworth Park bucks that trend. A large, lush park with rolling hills and a big lake, vast amounts of effort and money has gone into restoring it in recent years, making it into one of the best parks in Birmingham. I got to know it through the Simmer Down Festival, a free, day long, outdoor event celebrating the local area's Caribbean heritage. I was not expecting to find such a beautiful park when I got there. There's a boathouse cafe with boats available for the sea worthy. There's also a leisure centre situated within the grounds and a children's play area so this is probably a good day out for families. Definitely recommended, and I hope this park eventually becomes as well known as it deserves to be.