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!

West Smethwick Park is a fairly big park which sits near to the borders with Oldbury and…read moreLondonderry. It retains a little of its old faded glamour with its big gates and big duck-pond. There are a few bits of keep-fit equipment lying around, although I didn't see as many as in Barnford Hill Park, which is roughly a mile away. It's the sort of place you could take your dog for a walk, jog round, use as a short-cut in daylight hours or just go for a stroll in. I didn't feel it the sort of place where you could have an afternoon out or go for a full-on walk around, it's just not big or interesting enough. For the kids there's a playground although the ones at Barnford Hill Park (notice the use of plural there) look more fun to me - although as a disclaimer I'm a bit out of touch on what makes a good playground for kids these days.

I'll admit when I went to explore Barnford Hill Park, I was already mentally preparing a sneering…read moredismissal of a little bit of grass with the word 'park' tagged rather patronisingly onto it. Therefore I'm very pleased to write instead that Barnford Hill Park is a great place that I never even knew was on my doorstep! The place looks tiny from the road but is actually huge and boasts a cricket pitch, two playgrounds, a basketball court, some well-tended gardens and plenty of grass. Perhaps the best thing about the place however is the keep-fit equipment dotted along the paths. It's a bit like a free outdoor gym, with steel walkers, rowing machines, balance beams and various other equipment to help you get in shape. As I strolled round the Tuesday morning drizzle, I was amazed at how such a comparatively big place is so well secreted behind some houses. Next sunny day that comes along, I'll be down there with my bathing towel, book and gym headband.

Read about the 1953 Coronation Cup football tournament held at Barnford Hill Park in Alan Ahlberg's…read morebook 'The Boyhood of Burglar Bill' p37 onwards. Brilliant book about growing up in 1950s Oldbury.

Local Authourity Park with all the usual play eaquipment etc and playing fields . It has one…read moreunusual feature the substantial ruins of a medievel priory . It lies in the shadow of Dudley Castle and Zoo .

Some of the buildings are in disrepair, and somewhat boring so do not make a special trip to see…read morethem. The park is quite nice, with a children's play area, tennis courts, and toilet facilities.

My experience here will be quite different to anyone else's. Earlier this year my company got the…read moreokay on a music video idea that required a tribal forest location,mine with an array of different locations and setting opportunities, but at the same time has striking vistas for the wide shots. When i told the crew I had the perfect location that was 10 minuets from home they thought I was crazy, until I messaged them over the pictures of this hidden landscape. The nature reserve it's self needs some cleaning up, part of the reason I liked this place was party due to its messy nature, but in any other eyes but a film makers this is a bad point. The clay hills looks amazing in the sun light and the paths are clear and easy to navigate, there's a small fishing spot around the bottom of the valley but I've never seen any fish in there (except the one we put in) The view from the top is beautiful and it can give the impression turning the middle of nowhere at times but a trolley stuck in a tree or a dirty old tyre will bring you back to reality. The pub just outside the reserve is nice and has always been one of my personal favourites, foods good and cheap too. The nature sculpture walk is really interesting, some cool wooden, carvings to have a ponder at. Just try and catch it in a good day where the wardens have had chance to tidy up. To view the video we made here check out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5cqwcVQCE8&sns=em

An area of woodland , open fields , canals and a large reservoir . The nature reserve is dominated…read moreby a large quarry which provided clay fir the local brickworks . Its q great place for walking the dogs . There is a sculpture trail but being of wood its all starting to rot . Theres a great bridge over the canal where you get a perfect echo .

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.

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.

Perry Park is often overlooked as it's right next to one of the main roads in and out of the city…read more Despite this, last year they completed the building of an international standard BMX track within the park itself. This track sits alongside the existing skate ramps that have been on the site for years and are regularly used both by young people from the area, and youth workers looking to do outreach work with those young people. The park itself has loads of open flat grass and has been used for carnivals and festivals in the past, so has plenty of space to take a dog for a walk or have a family picnic - but only if this weather holds out!

Perry Park is big, really big!! It's important to state that as whether you are approaching it from…read morethe Walsall Road or Aldridge Road it's easy to think it's quite small. Not only is it such a big park that they have events and fairs on due to the expanse of flat green lawn but it has a reservoir, is home to Alexandra Stadium and has a world class BMX park. Personally I like to think of it as Brum's version of New York's Central Park just minus statues, ice rinks and restaurants. The size of the park means it's easy to think it's not busy. If you are a young person then it's a great place to hang out and youth workers are often doing detached work, which means opportunities to get involved in fun projects.

This is an area of mainly woodland concentrated on the old limestone workings that fed the iron…read moreworkings of the Black Country . The views off the top are amazing particulary at night . The place is famous for the Seven Sisters Caverns and the wealth of fossils that have been dug from the Silurian Limestone . The place is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and is designated a Geological Nature Reserve but theres loads of wildlife too.

Edgbaston Resorvoir is another of those urban idyls that take away the sometimes claustrophobic…read morefeelings of city living. Looking out over the flat waterway can be an incredibly calming feeling, and sometimes even dramatic if the wind is up. A walk around the resorvoir is a good way to get an idea of it's size and allows you to really take in it's serene beauty. The footpath is frequented by dog walkers, joggers and people just out on a stroll. Whether you're out to burn off calories or just fancy sitting and watching the world go by, Edgbaston Resorvoir offers a scenic setting in which to ponder the greater mysteries of life or simply stare out over the water.

There's two miles of pathway around the reservoir making it a popular place for joggers,…read moredog-walkers and people out for a gentle stroll. This is a fabulous facility that I've used over the years. Sadly, these days I feel it's under used. I remember when each weekend there was something going on, on the water. These days, however, to see a single boat on the lake is a rarity. That said, it's home to The Midland Sailing Club and Sea Cadet Centre and The Birmingham Rowing Club. It's still one of my favourite places to relax. The council and ranger service do a great job with its upkeep. It's also a popular place for fishing. It's a stones throw from Birmingham city centre and parking is free. It could do with a cafe actually within the reservoir but there is one just at the entrance.