When the Queensway Tunnel was dug beneath the river, the subsequent rubbish pulled from the ground…read morewas dumped and landscaped into what is now Otterspool Prom. Here you can do everything there is to possibly do on a riverside promenade; things such as walk, ride a bike, look at the water and...um...well that's about it. I suppose you could rollerblade if you wanted. If it's a warm day and you don't mind the style your hair will be sculpted into by the blustering gales, you can follow the prom and its interconnecting paths right up to the Pier Head. If you don't fancy that, try and unearth the ruins of the 1984 Garden Festival, which lies hidden by tree trunks and weeds. You don't know how overtly creepy something is until you accidentally stumble across a kid's overgrown swing park. I still have nightmares.

What a spectacular view. Did you ever see such a coastline? Especially when the waves are choppy…read moreand the wind blustery. I absolutely love the promenade; walking along beside the river with the breathtaking view of the Welsh hills in the background is really relaxing, there's lots of cyclists and dog-walkers around and it's a lovely environment on a clear sunny day. The park which was renovated through the 'Pride in our Proms' project is Amazing. It's a mini world of Big Kid heaven... for me anyway I regressed about 10 years and was on the swings, seesaw and monkey bars, and when we'd totally worn ourselves out running around and taking cool scenic pictures of the sunset we went for a well earned pint from the Otterspool pub which is handily a hop skip and a cartwheel across the park. Go fly a kite, see the sights, play on the park and grab a pint!

Reviewing this place primarily for the pool and the facilities surrounding that, seen as that is…read morewhat I use it for really, although they do have plenty of classes, gyms, suites, squash courts, and plenty of interesting gubbins (and a ridiculously placed vending machine full of chocolate, I may add). There are two pools, the kiddy pool, and the larger one, but last time I was there it was pretty badly controlled with screaming kids and their parents who didn't care about them, and strangers around them even less EVERYWHERE, 6 and a half foot blokes doing starfish floats in the middle of the pool, and teen girls with full faces of make up standing in the middle of the lanes and chatting about unprotected sex... When it's sunny, it's either terribly pleasant, or absolutely blinding, the huge windows, you don't particularly notice the fact people cold star and watch you in your spandex gear from outside, but you do really notice how depressing the place becomes when the sun goes behind a cloud, it's definitely got a "Oh, the film is sad so it's suddenly and conveniently raining, how original" sudden change to it. The changing rooms are of the village type, and are reasonably clean. It can be quite a trek from the showers to your locker if they're by the door though, so don't do what I did, and ensure you bring a big enough towel!

This is a fantastic sports centre, that was only built in the last 2 years. We mainly use it for…read morethe swimming pool, which is great - there is a main pool, and a smaller, warmer pool for children. There are communal chaging rooms, with lockers that take a £1 returnable coin. We have also used the large gym for my daughters gymnastics classes, and the facilities are excellent. The staff are always really helpful, and there is a large pay and display car park outside.

The Churnet Valley , its woods , cliffs and railway walk centered on the village of Alton is a…read moregreat place for a non strenuous day in the fresh air . Numerous pubs and tea rooms for those that need refreshment . The peace here is sometimes disturbed by the screams if folks on the rollercoasters at Alton Towers . And don't forget to lake a short diversion to see the chained oak where the witchs head was chopped off :)

Dimmingsdale is situated between Oakamoor and Alton Towers in a delightful valley along the River…read moreChurnet. This is a gorgeous place to go for a walk in the spring and summer, and truly stunning during the autumn months. The walk is about 4 miles long, but can be shortened by crossing the river, and walking back on the other side, for a different view. Dimmingsdale is highly recommended for anyone wanting to impress a girl with their romantic side, families with kids, people with dogs and obviously anyone who likes woodland walks. To round the walk of and turn it into an experience, have a pot of tea and some mouthwatering cake at the Ramblers Retreat.

Since getting a dog we are always looking for dog friendly places and Himley Halls grounds are…read moreperfect! They have parking (£1.80 all day), Golf course & hire, cafe, toilets and even water bowls for the thirsty doggies. Beautiful walks and even got a stream you can trek along. The food in the cafe is basic but good. My only criticism was the toilets where closed so we had quite a walk to get to the other toilets located by the hall. My mom has trouble getting around and nearly had to go in the bushes lol. Thankfully we got there in time! Overall great place for anyone who likes a good trek and ideal for dog owners.

Located in the old grounds of Himley Hall which was the home of the Earl of Dudley . Theres…read moreopenland , woods , fishing lake and a public golf course . They have many big events here such as the usual bonfire night but also music events , wedding fairs etc .

I think Stafford Sports Arena is a great place and I went there literally to check out the gym but…read moreall of the staff there were extremely helpful and I cant fault them at all. It is located just outside of Stafford town centre and is situated on a retail park which now hasa huge Next, New Look and Dunelm so you can spend quite a while here. The Sports Arena is nice and clean when you walk in and there is a small reception area straight away where you can find out where you want to go. Now they have great facilities including fitting rooms, toilets and steam rooms which are very nice indeed as you can imagine. There are massive courts there which there are always people playing football there which is nice to see. Then the gym is upstairs which has great equipment and is extremely cheap to join which is nice to know. They also do fitness classes at the Sports Arena so you can literally keep fit in whatever way you want. It is a nice sports arena and I do reccommend to people if you fancy like doing a bit of fitness so do not purely think that due to the name it is just about sports. Enjoy and thanks for reading. xxx

This is based on an out of town retail park and therefore has a great deal of parking. It includes…read morebadminton, football, a gym, spin classes, aerobics classes etc. It is quite pricey, but has a huge range of facilities including children's parties. It is quite easy to negotiate your way around and also has a bar where the footie is screened.

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!

Such a nice park for kids to play and for me to walk Ricky Martin! So pleased I stumbled across…read morethis park yesterday / lived 10 minutes drive away for 3 years and never noticed it! Apparently decades ago it was a landfill that has now been turned into this large (33 hectares or 70+ acres) park with plenty of room to walk, enjoy nature (including some wetlands) and the views. Ricky Martin and I will definitely be back - often! 1 thumb and 2 paws up!! Review #11 2020

I live close by and its a great place to go for a nice walk, small play area for the kids, also the…read morerailway that normally runs twice a week, at the moment the lake doesn't have that much water in as earlier this year was emptied to do repairs on the dam, the work now has been done and is filling up naturally, will be around 2012 before completely full again. see some pics and details at my site at http://www.kevinsimon.co.uk/?p=274

I agree with marg - a great place for a day out, whether you want to picnic, see or ride the…read moretrains, bring your boat or just walk your dog. There are two places for refreshment, a book/nic-nac store (inside a train carriage), plus a toy shop.

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.