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.

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!

I literally stumbled across this walkway today (yes, it was painful and embarrassing...) whilst…read moremooching around in Billesley - as one does. I had no idea it existed before, or indeed the Shire Country Park of which it is a part (along with Sarehole Mill, Moseley Bog, The Dingles and other bits of random Birmingham parkland). I'm always pleased to find green spaces, so I went for a little stroll. It's always nice to discover little green hidden treasures amongst the urban sprawl, so I enjoyed my little wander through the walkway's little hedgerows which line the banks of the River Cole (I say 'River' it's more of a stream, really). There were lots of chirrupy birds around who were obviously enjoying their time in the Shire, but I have to say, it did look like it needed a bit of TLC as the path and the field both were a bit overgrown.

Located over the road from Sarhole Mill, this nature walk is another great inspiration to Tokien,…read morewho used to explore the river Cole as a child. The walkway is named after a headmaster from George Dixon Junior School, who wrote about the heritage of Birmingham in every district. This pathway certainly breathes the same history from Jone's pages, and feels very magical and enchanting to walk through, especially in the summertime when you hear birds, crickets and other insects. I often walk down this path to escape the smog of Birmingham, and become transported to a new aged, natural environment. And the walkway is perfect for runners, joggers and bikers, because it stretches such a long way. There's a few fruiting bushes along the path, and I often go and collect plums, blackberries and raspberries from the wild, overgrown edges of the walk (as do many other people). The plums are little yellow ones, which are very sweet and perfect for making pies. So if you want fresh, great tasting fruit to eat, John Morris Jones Walkway is definitely the place to pick your own. Who'd have thought such delicious food could be found in the wilderness of Birmingham?

Swanshurst Park is, to me, one of Birmingham's best parks. For these reasons:…read more 1) There are not one, but two large pools. A lot of parks in this neck of the woods are sadly lacking in water features, and Swanshurst has two. The larger of the two - Moseley Pool - is really beautiful, and surrounded, when I went there last week, with brilliant Spring flowers. It's an important site for various wildfowl too. 2) There is a car park. A good sized, easy accessible, free car park 3) There is a children's play area. This is near the car park so a) little legs don't have to walk far and b) if you fancy a more 'adult' stroll it's easy to get away into the wide yonder, beyond the shrieks of children. 4) It has a lovely combination of wide expanse and heath type landscapes, so you get that relieving feeling of space but there are also little pockets of heath to explore. For me, the greatest thing that this park offers is that expansive sense of space - much welcomed amongst the suburbs of south Birmingham.

People often say that birmingham lacks green space and is some sort of concrete…read morejungle......wrong....I actually have no idea where people get this stuff! Yet another great park space for walking yourself or the dogs, picnics in the warmer months, cycling or that outdoor meditation vibe you saw on YouTube and Connor wait to try. This is not one of those destination parks where I would say travel from far and wide to marvel at its beauty......more a local vibe that gives the area a little something more than just grey and dull suburban vibes.

Elmdon park is a mammoth of a park and when I am feeling in need of some nice fresh air and a long…read morewalk I park at the top end by the Land Rover and walk all the way down to the playground section and back again, it usually takes around an hour and it is an enjoyable walk - typical that the hill back to the car park is fairly steep so don't over do it on the walk! Has events during the warmer months and within the last few years I have attended an Easter Egg hunt which took you on a walk around the park searching for letters to receive a creme egg for the kids who took part as well as a fun day where they had some bouncy slides which you had to pay £1-£1.50 to use

Although this park is an arboretum, (that's a park with examples of different trees to you and me),…read morethe main reason why most come here is to give their suburban pooches some exercise. So, you'll find yourself chatting small talk with other dog owners as your canines get to meet each other. As the park doesn't have any facilities, it's a quiet park with enough space for everyone to play ball, picnic, or read. It's the main meeting place in the Winter for school kids and their families when schools are cancelled due to the white stuff, and you can get a good run down the hill near the High Street entrance with your sledge/skateboard with the wheels taken off/plastic bag, though my most extreme jaunt down the hill was at dusk at break-neck speed in a bath! Truly, a park for all seasons.

I'm reviewing this from a family friendly perspective, so if this isn't your thing, check out the…read moreother reviews instead. Highbury is a great park for taking the children to. Plenty of tarmac paths for bikes and scooters, plus loads of wide open spaces for football etc. The play area is lovely and very similar to the style of the new one in Canon Hill Park, but much smaller. It's inventive and interactive which is brilliant for imaginative games. My daughter especially loves the sculpted ridge at the back as it's great fun to tear round and have adventures on. One of my favourite things is to take along some bread, feed the ducks and walk round to the bit up by Moor Green Lane and Yew Tree Road. It's a little adventure haven and even better now the rangers have created new pathways to explore. There are also bee hives not far from the duck pond, which is really cool. Some of my favourite trees are in this park. Really lovely. If you're in need of refreshments, then there's a Costcutter not far from the main entrance on the High Street or Co-Op on Dad's Lane. Both of which are a little walk out of the park. There aren't any toilets, so it's as nature intended or crossed legs.

Moseley bog is a small natural wood in the south of the city that is perhaps most famous for its…read moreconnections to Tolkien who lived nearby and spent some of his childhood playing in the area. A few years ago this was quite a wild, abandoned and unloved looking place. However, since the release of Lord of the Rings, the establishment of the Middle Earth weekend and the support of local groups such as the Wildlife Trust for Birmingham Moseley Bog has taken on a bit of a transformation and the recent introduction of walk-ways make it an easier place to explore. You can access the bog via Yardley Wood Road or through Pensby Close and it's a lovely place to visit in the spring when blue-bells are out in force. Interesting fact - as well as being linked to Tolkien, it's said that a house next to the bog was once used by Birmingham based reggae band UB40 for some of their earlier recordings...

One of the curious things I've found about Birmingham is that for a city that has a reputation for…read morebeing ugly, it has a large number of areas of natural beauty hidden away. Moseley Bog is one of them. As the name suggests, it's an area of boggy woodland with plenty of nooks and cranies to poke about in. Though there's plenty of raised wooden pathways, it could still be hard work for those unsteady on their feet, with plenty of small hills and steps to negotiate. There's also plenty there for those for foragers on the hunt for wild foods. Get there at the right time in spring and you can come away with bags and bags of wild garlic. In conclusion, a great little escape from the pressures of city life.

**AN UNSAFE AND UNHYGIENIC PLACE TO PRACTICE FITNESS AND WELL BEING**…read more Men's Toilets (upstairs and downstairs) I have recently joined this gym and I am extremely concerned about the hygiene of Fox Hollies Leisure Centre. The male toilets, specifically the ones upstairs next to the gym, have not been cleaned since I started my membership 3 months ago. The toilet bowls have heavy faeces stains stuck to the actual bowl which have not been cleaned nor sanitised in months. The urinals are in worse condition as they have no urinal balls/cakes in them which means they actually smell of stale urine. The urinals have yellow stains indicating that they have not been cleaned or sanitised regularly for a significant period of time. Ironically there is a notice above the sinks which states that the Leisure Centre cleans and disinfects the toilets regularly and that customers should contact them if this is not the case. Next, the sinks have not been cleaned in months and are stained dark brown with grime. The mirrors are dusty and stained with greasy marks. The air freshener in the toilets does not work so the whole room truly reeks of stale urine. As a parent I am extremely troubled that a leisure centre, a place of health, fitness and wellness is so unsanitary. I will be uploading images soon and will also be contacting Birmingham City council and various watchdog associations and of course the local government about these acute health and hygiene issues at a public leisure facility. Staff and Front Reception There is a wide variety of staff from all backgrounds and ages which is really nice to see as Birmingham is a multicultural city. Unfortunately the staff who are at the front reception desk are mostly rude, dismissive and unhelpful. This is certainly true of the more mature members of leisure centre staff. As a customer who brings their entire family to this leisure centre to improve their health and well being, I am exceptionally disappointed that the majority of the staff on the front desk look so unhappy, talk with such disdain, don't say please when asking you to scan and generally really give off a negative air. Personally I really do not like to ask the Fox Hollies Leisure Centre staff questions even though it is part of their job to answer them. Instead I ask other gym goers who are much more positive and significantly more helpful. Parking There are usually plenty of parking spaces, however one major point of concern is that the car park is continually used by driving schools and driving instructors to teach their students parking skills. This has led to my car and that of other leisure centre customers being scratched and severely dented when we return to our vehicles after a fitness class or session at the gym. Also walking around the car park is hazardous as I have nearly been backed into, and run over by learner student drivers doing their maneuvers. The car park belongs to the Fox Hollies Leisure Centre and is only to be used by people who are using the leisure centres' facilities. There should be a policy in place, including a car park security guard which enforces this. Security I have been witness to a few occasions in the gym where there have been physical instances of assault between specific gym goers. This has made me and many other gym users feel unsafe and indeed frightened to use the gym. I feel that there should be adequate security to protect members of the public at all times, who use the gym and that those who cause arguments, who are abusive or cause physical harm should be banned and the police called to remove them and bring forward charges. All of these above issues are far from being minor in nature and should be addressed as they certainly would not be accepted at any private gym or private health facility in the UK.

This is far from my favourite place to go for a swim, but it's much better than Stechford Cascades…read more The pools are a lot bigger and spacious, and staff are friendly and inviting. There is also a great selection of activities here for children, such as water slides to keep families entertained. However, if you're the sort of person that simply want to go for a casual or leisurely swim to keep fit, then I don't think this is the place for you. The pools are usually always overcrowded, and you'll struggle to find a time to go when they're quiet; Especially if you work from 9-5, because after this time, the pools become full of people, meaning that you can't really swim any lengths without bumping into somebody on your way. The changing rooms are pretty standard, as are the showers and locker rooms; you're likely to struggle to find an empty one.

Ever since I was a wee gal I've been coming to Lickey Hills park - from school geography trips to…read morehuge picnics , it has something for everyone. As soon as you come in, theres a huge park for kids which is actually great fun for the big kids too ;) take my advice for it! And as you go deeper into the park, you realise what an incredible sigh of relief this park is as it gives you a break from the busy, industrial city ; instead offering you serenity and beauty. You wouldn't even think it's in Birmingham! Rolling hills, towering trees and a blanket of green surrounding you; each area is beautiful. Even if you do get drenched by the rain like I did, it's definitely worth it! A must for those seeking an escape!

How can this not be 5*?! Beautiful rolling countryside, amazing views, woods and generally stunning…read morescenery. I actually don't have much more to say for a change!! If you are looking for a place for a hike, romantic walk, dog walking spot or just generally a spot to get out of the city without going too far then check this place ut. I have been coming here since I was a kid and think ill be coming back for some years! Lovely.