Leasowes park and woodland covers over 140 acres, including the Halesowen Golf Club. The Leasowes…read morePark is one of the most beautiful natural landscapes i have seen. They have also been designed by a poet from the 18th century called William Shenstone (if your interested in history). The area consist of wooded hillsides, scenic grasslands and small lakes and streams. Free parking is available at the Leasowes Lane entrance. It's natural and in areas very wild, isolated and utterly without basic facilities. But having said that its great for getting back to basics for a proper old school adventure! Spend the day hiking, have a mini beast finding safari, or have the hide and seek tournament of your lives... there is lots of fun to be had here! This public space is a great bit of wilderness in a heavily industrialised area. A great place to come to escape from it all. A much used and loved place for family recreation, couples, friends alike. There are a few must see features to find like the bridge over the water feature, this place is great as you'll find nothing but green here. it truly is Lovely!

This is a lovely and green parkland located just away from Halesowen town centre. It was landscaped…read moreto closely resemble the natural environment, so there are lots of trees and winding pathways to help you explore the sizeable (143 acre) space. There is a fishing pond with a well-trodden path that takes about 20 minutes to walk around. It is a pleasant stroll through the woodland up to the golf course. The main problem is accessing the park by car as it can only be reached from the downhill carriageway of Mucklow's Hill.

One of my favourite books when I was younger was the Secret Garden where 3 children found a key to…read morea hidden garden which became their secret retreat. Moseley Park and Pool kind of reminds of this as its very easy to miss it due to the fact it's tucked away down a tiny path that runs between O'Neills and Dixons and you need to be a key holder to gain entry to this gem. This park is a calm haven amongst the hustle and bustle of city living. I love coming here in the summer for a picnic as its a private park there is plenty of space to sit and it's always tidy and well maintained. To become a key holder for a year you need to head to Moseley Travel and pay £40. Well worth chipping in with friends/ housemates. If you'd like to try before you buy then there are free open days or visit one various festivals held here such as Moseley Folk.

Moseley Park and Pool is one of those little secrets you only share with people you really like…read more Set off Moseley's main strip you really wouldn't know it was there unless you'd been tipped off in advance. There is a tiny path that goes between Dixon's and Oneills. Once through the gate you take short amble through the trees and past a tennis court or two to finally open out into the park proper. The space isn't huge but is a real oasis in a city like Birmingham. There are two large fields and then best of all a lake that you can walk around. So what's the catch? Is a private park for keyholders only. Annual membership is not expensive though at £40. However, a first visit might be best kept for a free open day or really treat yourself and grab a ticket for the annual Mostly Jazz, Funk and Soul or Moseley Folk Festivals.

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.

Kings Heath park is absolutely huge. It's great to have picnics at, go for walks, have colour…read morefights (as my friends and I did ) , walk the dogs and even entertain the kids. Everytime I go there are always various clubs going on which is great to have something to occupy time with! Additionally, it has very quiet areas, especially by the pond , and I usually take work and do it there. It's a great park!

I like Kings Heath park, it's got a lot going for it. First…read moreoff, it's a like a park of two halfs, oh and it's massive. It's like maybe two, three or even four parks in one. You've got the footpath that leads all the way around the park, which is popular with walkers, joggers and cyclists. This path will lead you from one of the three entrances right down to where the park edges alongside the trainline. How many miles this walkway is I don't know, but it's a good walk to take it all in. The path snakes in around the parks water feature which is really quite beautiful and is popular with ducks. There is also a tea room, tennis courts, a bowling green, basketball hoops, and two childrens playgrounds. This is a supreme park with large open grass spaces to boot. Kings Heath park is a great asset to the south of Birmingham and has a great deal to offer visitors.

Grove Park is a medium-sized Victorian park in Harborne with a nice little lake, playground,…read morefields, and plenty of trees and flowers. It is absolutely beautiful year round and one of my favourite places to go toss a frisbee, or sit and watch the ducks. I pretty much always detour through the park on my way to Harborne High Street. It's never overrun with people, even in the summer months, and has fields that are great for dog walking, picnics, and playing sports. Grove Park has a few wide paved paths that leave plenty of room for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as some small hidden dirt paths. There are plenty of benches. Absolutely stunning foliage year round, buzzing with wildlife, and lots of little nooks to be explored.

Grove Park is situated in the South of the city just off Harborne Park Road - it's about a 5 minute…read morewalk from the top end of the High Street, one of two parks in the area and very close to the well regarded St Peter's junior and infant schools. As well as having a rather nice lake, several large fields that are ideal for dog walking (and at weekends often double up as football fields - jumpers for goalposts and all that) it hosts a popular children's play area, several nice benches where you can sit and admire the view and a recently restored lodge. The latter is a nod to 'The Grove' - previously the home of social reformer and Birmingham's first Member of Parliament, Thomas Attwood which stood in the grounds of what is now the park but was sadly demolished in the 60s.

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I dont remember Cannon Hill park being so beautiful! Visited here recently as part of a food…read morefestival and was taken back by just how lovely the place is! Now my lack of realisation was probably due to the fact I was trying to avoid being bitten by the aggressive ducks that used to roll round the pond like a carte when I was a child.....but i was young.....and about half the size so they seemed a lot more intimidating at the time. I am happy to confirm I walked past them with ease this time around and had more time to enjoy the picturesque surroundings! The park is pretty huge and boasts a nice pond complete with fountain/water feature to impress even the Charlie Dimmock types....swan boats, a theatre, crazy golf and many walkways and paths to enjoy. Perfect for a day out with the kids....or to keep that inner child satisfied. You will find me here a fair bit over the summer I think....get me to the ice cream van...now!

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!

I spent a lot of time here when I was a kid, so I tend to get warm and fuzzy about the place…read more The park is massive, especially when you factor in the farm area and the adjoining Valley Country Park. Its proximity to the motorway and sprawl of West Brom make the park even more impressive. There is a large kids play area, with some really cool rides and climbing frames. It gets really busy on sunny days. If you want something quieter, you can take a walk around the large duck pond or fishing lakes. There is an outdoor gym for grown ups, as well as a climbing wall and basketball courts. There is an impressive entrance gate and war memorial located towards the top of the park. The Sandwell Community Show is held on the nearby showground every August Bank Holiday. It is always a blast, full of good, clean family fun.

Dartmouth Park is one of the nicest green spaces for families and everyone to go to…read more Located in West Bromwich, and about 25mins driving from the city, it's great to just go for a walk here, or kick a ball about with friends. There is a huge lake, which is nice to walk round on a lovely summer's day, and plenty of green space so that you don't feel all crammed in like sardines. I kick a ball round here with a couple of friends once a month, and it's one of the nicest places in West Brom. Kids also have a large play area with swings and facilities suited for young small children. A great event every year is the bonfire display during guy forks night. It's super for families, free to get in, and lots of entertainment and food on the fields surrounding areas. I'd recommend visiting to anyone, if you can't make the fireworks and bonfire spectacular, then a stroll or footie game here is well worth it.

With a pretty lake at it's centre, sloping grass verges and wildlife, it's easy to see why the…read moreparents of a prospective student would want their child to live here whilst studying. With many facilities on site such as a bar, restaurant and shop, there's not many reasons for students to leave, apart from to go to lectures of course. The village even has it's own one day music festival each year, the much loved Vale Fest. However, living in such attractive surroundings does not come cheaply, and in such destitute times, the Vale is going to be outside many students' budgets. The onsite Costcutter is also seen by many as being overpriced, which is particularly a problem when the local shops are quite a distance away. In conclusion, though the Vale is not without it's flaws, this is a nice place to live when doing your degree. As long as you can afford it...........

Having been to several other universities (both on open days and to visit friends) and sampled…read morenumerous different examples of university accommodation, I can with some degree of certainty see that the Vale is the nicest setting for student flats in the country. The main blocks of accommodation are all adjacent to, or indeed, actually part of, the Vale, an expansive stretch of park in the middle of the leafy area of Edgbaston (although even here it stands out as an exceptionally beautiful setting). Various trails wind in and out of various wooded areas, and the whole effect is set off by a huge lake, home of many birds, and, if you're lucky, you may get to see swans nesting and eventually having signets at the start of third term. It's a wonderful location, and really shows students apprehensive about Birmingham, possibly due to its reputation in parts as being something of a concrete jungle, that there's most definitely another side to it. The one downside to living on the Vale is that it when it's sunny, it's very hard to resist the temptation to stop working and go outside!

I had an hour or two (or three!) to kill while Mrs G gets her new braids etc done here in…read moreBirmingham (about an hour and 10 minutes from home) so I looked for places where I can walk with Ricky Martin our gorgeous little 11 year old Jack Russell/Chihuahua. Sadly there aren't any off leash dog parks in the UK (one thing both he and I miss from the US!). All of the above said, this is a large, well maintained, safe park that is pleasant to explore with your dog (or without!). It is open and airy and I am sure that it is nice park to watch cricket matches when they are scheduled. Also from the signs and the preparation work in progress I can see that they have a variety of different events, some at least involving music. People in the park seem friendly and I love the diversity here.

You would neber guess you were in Handsworth! This beautifl park runs around an expansive lake,…read morewhich provides a great circuit for runners, and there are quite a few recognised tracks which run around it. Many people can be found running/walking around, particulary during the venings/weekends/mornings, and epecially in the early weeks of Jan/Feb! (All you New Years Resolution Holders out there) But it provides a great relaxing break from the industrial Handsworth, and is well worth a pleasant walk to take your mind off things!