Harborne walkway is a space of natural tranquillity in an urban environment. It was opened in 1981,…read moreoccupying the former short branch Harborne railway line. The railway line opened in 1874, as an early example of a commuter route into the new industries city of Birmingham. It took five years to build the 2.5 miles of track, with stations at Hagley Road, Rotton Park Road, and Icknied Port Road before terminating at New Street. This was much shorter that the 1866 proposal, which would have connected Bromsgrove to Halesowen, and connecting the Great Western Railway (in Soho) with the London and North Western Railway on Monument Lane. I had previously presumed that the railway line was a victim of Dr Beeching's Cuts in the 60's, whereby he oversaw the closure of over 1,000 rail stations in the UK (luckily we didn't follow his full recommendation and close over 2,000). However, the Harborne line closed to passengers in 1934, as people favoured the buses, which had less delays at the time. The line remained open for freight, serving the Chad Valley toy factory in Harborne, as well as the Mitchells & Butlers brewery at Cape Hill, amongst over businesses. The line was completely closed in 1963. Cut to present day and the line has been transformed into the most lovely walking and cycling path in the city. The path runs from Forest Drive / Park Hill Road in Harborne to Summerfield Park in Soho; where one can easily visit Edgbaston Reservoir, or join the Birmingham Canal to walk into the city centre. The full walk from Harborne to town is unsurprisingly the same as the original railway line: 2.5 miles. It brings one into town at Brindley Place, where there are ample options for liquid refreshment and nutrient. Along most of the walk, we could easily be forgiven for forgetting that we are so close to the heart of the second city. We could easily be convinced that we're walking in a rural part of the country. The only hint to city life is seeing the buses on the Hagley Road above our heads. The footpath is however, slightly busier (and less boggy) than those out in the countryside, being popular with dog walkers, families, cyclists, and runners alike. The route doesn't have any lighting though, so is probably best avoided after dusk. Although I love Birmingham and all of the culture, bar, events etc that happen in the 'big city', sometimes it's good to get away from all of the 'hustle and bustle' and be 'one with nature' - any more clichés I can fit in? Seriously though, it's great to be able to escape from all of the stresses of modern life without having to travel too far from home. Birmingham has 3,500 hectares of public green space, more than any other European city, and 250 miles of urban brooks and streams (I've not even mentioned the canals, nor Venice). To me, Harborne Walkway is definitely one of the city's 'hotspots', a must for any Brummie!

Great walk on a fall afternoon with the dog. Don't leave it too late as it can get quite…read morecreepy/dark in areas. It is a great green space in an urban area and well worth a visit. Lots of runners and other dog walkers. Interesting railroad history.

This is bit a rarity. A 5* review. Laura provides essentially a dog sitting service within her own…read morehome and intermingled with her own family ensuring that our pet goes from home to home. The previous paragraph really does under sell the service she provides. She really does look after my pet as though it was her own and nothing is too much trouble. My dog really does know where she is going when we get close and gets really excited. She sleeps indoors with the others dogs that are staying making a real sociable stay.

I went on a Sunday afternoon with my friend and his most adorable dog for a walk through Campbell…read morePark. It's a massive dog friendly park (any areas that aren't are very clearly marked) and has a lot of interesting aspects to explore. This isn't just your normal park as it also has a memorial and various art sculptures in the park plus we passed a small playground at one point all keeping for quite the interesting walk. My friend was telling me they used to have sheep grazing! I'm not sure if it was just the time of year I went or if they have been permanently removed, but no sheep were to be had in March. It's big on festivals in the summer apparently with a nice open air pavilion type theater outdoor area.

I have to say my family goes every year and we really enjoy ourselves. Yes the ground can get…read moreincredibly muddy and yes the vendor's are a bit expensive - we get over that by taking our own hot chocolate and chairs to sit down on. The atmosphere is fantastic, the kids love all the sounds, excitement and colours and that's even before the fire works start. It was a lovely display this year although it can get a bit smokey! And best of all - there's no entrance fee!

Great local facility. Teaming with wildlife. There's a two mike walk around the reservoir, ideal…read morefor dogs, provided you're prepared for bath time afterwards in the winter. There's a little cafe and a reasonable amount of paid for parking.

Very nice park this is…read more There is a large play park for the kids to play in including swings, slides, climbing frames, bouncing toys etc And of course the lake which is very big and full of ducks and swans. There are toilets and a reasonably priced cafe! Its a really nice day out, but unless you are prepared for rain make it on a sunny day as there is little shelter!

Thanks to Woof & Walks! not only walking the dogs for us but feeding the rabbits and rest of our…read morezoo whilst we were away. Highly recommended.

I really love this park, It offers FREE parking too, on certain days Run Birmingham offer a free…read morerunning scheme called 'Couch to 5k' a 9 week program free to attend and gives you confidence to meet other fellow runners. Beautiful surrounding, come with kids to feed the wild life duckies in the large pond. Big area to ride your bike too with a number of facilities to park your bike. Kids can also have fun on the pay area too, with swings and a large climb rack. On my daily walks to the park I've even found wild black berries and bamboo being grown in the woodland area. There's a Cadbury Bournville house that has been derelict for quite a few years now, for such a great location I've always hoped that the council would invest money in this great location and maybe convert it into a little café? That would be perfect in my opinion. Have a good day everyone, thanks a bunch for reading

A cute little iddy biddy, easily-accessible area of green tucked in the middle of Coventry's…read morechaotic centre. Not sure if it's quite big enough to be classed as a 'park', but it's trying! There's a great area for kids of all ages with a slide, see-saw, climbing net, magical spinny thing etc and a fair amount of benches if you need some R&R. It is SO SWEET here in summer afternoons - there's always little family picnics occurring, bbqs, and local sports societies seem to practice football/cricket/rounders here a lot which is great to watch! In a non-creepy way

Hi Mike. You have proved that it is definitely possible to teach an old dog new tricks! Your advice…read morehas transformed our relationship with Angel, our 11-year-old rescued Bichon. We've had her for about a year but her possessiveness over food and resources was getting much worse and we were really worried that things were not going to work out with our current family situation. After one home visit from you, we have put in place all of the advice and training measures you suggested and everything is going really well. The daily growling incidents have reduced considerably now we know how to avoid and distract. Mealtimes in particular have improved - we are putting only small amounts of food in her bowl, then putting it down after she waits and then repeating the process until she has had the whole portion. One of the key things you helped us realise, is that just because she is 11, not to let her get away with things. For example, she used to have a set route she preferred for walks, with lots of little foibles about where to cross the road and stop at certain points. We used to indulge her routines and because she is an old dog, let her do what she wanted. But now, if we want to go left and she doesn't, I stand still until she stops pulling. Then I start to move towards the way I want. If she pulls again I stop, and I do not look at her. Eventually she starts to come towards me and once we are trotting off in the new direction she is fine. Thanks again for your advice. It has made Angel a much happier little lady.

From the owner: Dog & puppy training in Northwich & Cheshire…read more A well-behaved dog is a pleasure to own. At the club we show you how to interact with your dog and improve your dog handling skills. What's more, socialising with like-minded people and their dogs is a treat for you and your dog too.