Birmingham’s spectacular green spaces that shine in summer

We all long for an open space, or a park to wander around in – and there are probably more of them in Birmingham than you think. A look at Google Maps and you can see how much open space there is varies greatly from area to area, and some may even surprise you.

There are the obvious districts of Birmingham that are always going to be clear winners. Sutton Coldfield with Sutton Park is a classic example. At over 2,400 acres it is certainly the largest park in Birmingham. With a mix of seven lakes and wilderness and woodland it really is a beautiful place to spend time. Presented to the good people of the Royal Town ton by Henry VIII in 1528 after a request was made by his best friend Bishop John Vesey it is still a beautiful place to visit.

However if you look at areas like the Jewellery Quarter there is not much green space around. A beautiful part of the city and becoming increasingly popular as more and more factories are moving into loft living. Pubs and bars are plentiful and it is a very ‘trendy’ place to live but it seems there is very little open space. The only real green areas seem to be churchyards or graveyards.

Read more: What Birmingham looked like in 1994

St. Paul’s is a beautiful cemetery, but the Warstone Lane catacombs are always a bit creepy on a dark night. It’s not exactly a place to relax, among the great and good dead of old Birmingham.

Other regions hold no surprises. Tyseley and Erdington are small, but there is more to south Birmingham than meets the eye. Druids Heath and Hawksley are on Birmingham’s doorstep, with open countryside just a stone’s throw away.

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Bartley Green has the reservoir, along with Woodgate Valley Country Park.

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The Prince of Wales during a visit to Woodgate Valley Urban Farm in Birmingham, April 25, 2024.

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Hawkesley is situated on the edge of the countryside, has Hawkesley Hall and is situated next to the Wast Hills.

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The entrance to the Wast Hills Tunnel on the Worcester and Birmingham Canal with the northern entrance at Hawkesley. At 2,726 yards it is one of the longest canal tunnels in the country.

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Saltley is a heavy mix of housing and manufacturing with the huge HS2 development in the top right of the picture. The area went from car and bus manufacturing at Wolseley and later LDV at Drews Lane, Ward End, to the huge railway depot for the high speed network.

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Kings Heath is well provided with parks and open spaces with Kings Heath Park, Billesley Common and Highfield Park, home of former city statesman Joseph Chamberlain. Chamberlain was one of the founders of the city we live in today and created many of the open spaces and roads we still use today.

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Kings Heath Park is 35 acres in size and was the first city park in Birmingham to be awarded Green Flag status. But don’t mention the Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) to the locals and getting around Kings Heath is a nightmare these days. It might be better to leave it to the locals to walk there.

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Rubery and Rednal may be busy areas, but they are on the edge of some of Birmingham’s most beautiful areas, with the Lickey Hills just around the corner.

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Lickey Hills Country Park, originally a hunting reserve belonging to the Bromsgrove estate, but thanks to Edward, George and Henry Cadbury purchased Beacon Hill in 1907 and donated it to the City of Birmingham.

In the past this was a favourite spot for many Brummen residents, as the tram stopped in Rednal and hundreds of people walked from there into the hills.

(Image: Darren Quinton/Birmingham Live)

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Erdington is a little sparse in terms of green space compared to its neighbour Sutton Coldfield, however Brookvale, Rookery and Short Heath Parks are all good open spaces.

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Brookvale Park in Erdington. Built around what was formerly Lower Witton Reservoir, it opened in 1909 and was once a popular open-air swimming area. Witton Lakes ceased to be used as a water supply when the Elan Valley Reservoir opened in 1904. The lakes at Witton were not large enough to cope with Birmingham’s ever-increasing population explosion.

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The city centre is an area that is being developed further and further. The former Wholesale Market is due for a large-scale redevelopment.

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Major plans for the Smithfield site near the Bullring have been given the green light after several delays.

The “once in a generation” plan was previously delayed due to concerns over the size of the proposed Smithfield Park, but project leaders vowed to make it bigger.

I still wonder where all these people go for open space. With Beorma being redeveloped across the road, there seems to be a lot of people and little green space.

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There aren’t many parks on Balsall Heath either. Calthorpe Park is about the only park in the area, although Cannon Hill is not far away either.

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Calthorpe Park is divided into two parts on either side of the River Rea. CThe land was built in 1857 and is named after the Calthorpe family of Edgbaston Hall. Frederick Gough, 4th Baron Calthorpe, donated the land.

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Druids Heath is another surprising area. It is about to be completely redeveloped, but it does seem to have access to green open space. It is right on the border of Birmingham in the West Midlands, right next to the open fields of Worcestershire.

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Not to everyone’s taste, but Druids Heath does offer greenery amongst the apartment blocks and open countryside on your doorstep.

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Lozells has a lack of open space, with St Georges Park being the only area. Aston Park is nearby, but for local green space residents have to make do with the small park at Wills Street and Villa Street.

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St Georges Park, Wills Street and Villa Street, Lozells.

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Nearby Aston has a few areas. Aston Hall is a real gem with the beautiful Aston Hall. A Grade II listed Jacobean House, designed by John Thorpe and built between 1618 and 1635.

Salford Park is also close by, but it may not be the quietest area as cars speed over Spaghetti Junction and the M6, one of the busiest sections of motorway in Europe.

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Fortunately, Aston Hall did not suffer the same fate as Perry Hall, which was demolished in 1928. Birmingham City Council decided to demolish one of its own due to financial constraints at the time, and Perry Hall came out on the losing end.

Who said history never repeats itself with financial problems and the situation the Council finds itself in now. But now that Aston Hall is listed it has been preserved for future generations.

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Sutton Coldfield and Sutton Park. At over 2,400 acres it is certainly the largest park in Birmingham. With a mix of seven lakes and wilderness and woodland it really is a beautiful place to spend time. Given to the good people of Sutton by Henry VIII in 1528 after a request was made by his best friend Bishop John Vesey it is still a beautiful place to visit.

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The traditional Christmas dive into the water at Blackroot Pool at Sutton Park, in Sutton Coldfield. December 25, 2023.

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The Jewellery Quarter doesn’t look like it has much greenery from above. A great and vibrant area to live, but no parks.

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TThe catacombs at Warstone Lane Cemetery are very dramatic, but also a little creepy.

Many famous people are buried here, including John Baskerville, as in Baskerville House. The famous printer was originally from Kidderminster, but created the famous font of his name, designed in the 1750s. A statue of this stands outside the Hall of Memory in Centenary Square and we all walk past it regularly and don’t even notice it.

One of the most famous Brummies buried at Key Hill is Alfred Bird, famous for his eggless custard. Alfred Bird died on 15th December 1878 at Kings Norton, Worcestershire and is buried at Key Hill with his wife Elizabeth Lavinia.

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Edgbaston is a lovely place to live.

The leafy Calthorpe Estate has been in the same family for over 300 years. During that time they rebuilt Edgbaston Hall, Edgbaston Old Church and the gated Edgbaston Park. During the Industrial Revolution they preserved the rural, picturesque character of the area by banning the construction of warehouses and workshops on the estate.

Although it is a green and beautiful place to live, there are not many open parks and most of the land is private estate. Cannon Hill actually has an address in Moseley and Calthrope is in Balsall Heath.

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Birmingham Botanical Gardens in Edgbaston is set in 15 acres of land and is just 1.5 miles from the city centre. Just one of many open spaces in the area, with Winterbourne House just around the corner.

Oddly enough, Edgbaston Reservoir is actually in Ladywood and not Edgbaston, hence the statue of the famous tightrope walker Charles Blondin at the gate to Ladywood. He walked across the reservoir in 1873.

(Image: GRAHAM YOUNG)