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.

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

After extensive repairs works to the paths the pool is now open again and what a good job the…read morecontractors have done.A very smooth path now runs around the back of the pool so no more trip hazards.the bridge has also been replaced with a much better one. All in all a fantastic job it's just a shame the idiots have already been in and thrown the life belts in the water.

This small, suburban park was established on 1905 by The Muntz Family, who owned much of the…read moresurrounding land at the time. As there is a primary school at the end of the road the park is always busy before and after school. The main part of the park is a large, open grassy area which is popular with the local kids who play football there almost daily, whatever the weather. There is an enclosed play area with swings, climbing frames, and so on, that is clean and safe. At the bottom of the park is 'The Dell', which in the 1920s was used for outdoor dances and community get togethers. These days the dell is a more of a small nature reserve, with many birds boxes attached to the tree and wild-flowers growing in summer . Dogs are allowed in the park, although most dog owners generally tend to walk their animals in the nearby Selly Park.

I spent a year living directly across Umberslade Road from Muntz Park, and I grew quite attached to…read moreit over time. It may not have the size of the neighbouring Selly Park, and the houses surrounding the park only serve to emphasise this difference in size, but it's a great place to while away the hours. Selly Park can get extremely busy, particularly on sunny summer days, and if you like your relaxing on the grass with a healthy dose of silence, then Muntz Park is a much better bet. It's got a small kids play park that's often used when the local school finishes for the day, and a football pitch which is used on some weekdays by youth teams, but other than that it's mostly empty, making it the perfect place to relax, be it on the grass or on one of the several well maintained benches.

Calthorpe Park is a compact green space that is essentially the gateway to the Calthorpe Estate. It…read moreborders the Edgbaston and Balsall Heath areas and can be accessed via Pershore Road or Edward Road. Parking is available near the Play Centre on Edward Road. The park is easily accessible via bus with the 45 and 47 buses going through Pershore Road, 61 and 63 going through Bristol Road and 35 through Longmere Street. It's well maintained with pretty flower displays and shrubbery. Generally it's a simple layout with few facilities in comparison to the nearby Cannon Hill Park, which is comparatively much larger. At night it can get very dark towards the inner area of the park as you move further away from the main road because there are few lampposts in the green area. Therefore, it doesn't feel very safe to visit when it gets too dark.

In many ways, Calthorpe Park is very much your typical English park - medium size, fairly flat,…read morelots of grass (enough room for a football pitch that doesn't even encroach on everyone else's picnic space),a small children's play area, flower beds and regularly spaced benches. In terms of a big day out, this park is easily over shadowed by the nearby Canon Hill Park with it's showy lake and arts centre shenanigans. However, this doesn't mean Calthorpe Park is to be sniffed at - it's smart and well looked after, and the fact that most evenings during fine weather there's football or cricket games going on shows that it works well as a community space. Like I say, not the ideal venue for a big day out with the family but a nice park none the less, and if you live in the area, you surely owe it a visit.

This small, suburban park was established on 1905 by The Muntz Family, who owned much of the…read moresurrounding land at the time. As there is a primary school at the end of the road the park is always busy before and after school. The main part of the park is a large, open grassy area which is popular with the local kids who play football there almost daily, whatever the weather. There is an enclosed play area with swings, climbing frames, and so on, that is clean and safe. At the bottom of the park is 'The Dell', which in the 1920s was used for outdoor dances and community get togethers. These days the dell is a more of a small nature reserve, with many birds boxes attached to the tree and wild-flowers growing in summer . Dogs are allowed in the park, although most dog owners generally tend to walk their animals in the nearby Selly Park.