Pound Green Common

Mary Stevens Park

Oldswinford · 9.3 miles

A public green space in the Norton area of Stourbridge, West Midlands, covers roughly 13.65 hectares (33.7 acres) and has been accessible to the community since 1931. The land was presented to the town by local industrialist Ernest Stevens as a tribute to his wife, Mary, and it now welcomes around 1.3 million visitors each year. The layout combines open lawns with pockets of woodland, centred around Heath Pool – a former mill pond that adds a water element to the scenery. Architectural interest is provided by the Grade II-listed War Memorial and the Main Entrance gates, while ancillary buildings such as the park-keeper’s cottage, a council house, a bandstand and a tea-garden café contribute to the historic ambience. Recreational provision includes tennis courts, a multi-use games area, facilities for Crown green bowls and croquet, an outdoor gym, the Healthy Hub Activity Centre, and a children’s playground with a water-play feature. Access is via the surrounding streets of Oldswinford, with the park positioned within walking distance of the town centre. As a public park, entry is unrestricted, and the on-site café offers refreshments for visitors. The combination of natural, historic and sporting elements makes the site suitable for a range of leisure activities throughout the year.

The Lace Guild Museum

Audnam · 9.9 miles

A collection of historic and contemporary lace is displayed at The Hollies, the permanent headquarters of The Lace Guild in Stourbridge, West Midlands, with Audnam noted as the nearest town. The museum, operated by the charitable organisation, presents themed exhibitions drawn from its extensive holdings of lace and related artefacts. Exhibitions rotate each quarter and are accessible to the public on Fridays; visits on other days or for larger groups require an appointment, and individual items can be viewed by arrangement. The Lace Guild itself was founded in 1976 after a revival of interest in a craft that has been practised in Britain since the sixteenth century. After acquiring The Hollies in 1985, the charity secured accredited museum status in 2009. In addition to the museum, the Guild maintains a large library, publishes a quarterly magazine and instructional books, and runs courses, a summer school and an annual convention. An email service titled “Artefact of the Month” allows subscribers to receive a monthly image from the museum’s collection. No admission charges or on-site facilities such as a café or shop are mentioned in the source material.

Barrow Hill Local Nature Reserve Black Country Geosite

Cooper's Bank · 12 miles

An eroded volcanic plug dominates the landscape of Pensnett, offering a striking reminder of ancient geological activity in the West Midlands. The site, known as Barrow Hill Local Nature Reserve, lies close to St Mark’s Church and Russells Hall Hospital and can be reached from Vicarage Lane. Managed by Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, the reserve was formally established in 2005 and is listed as a local nature reserve and Black Country geosite, with Cooper’s Bank identified as the nearest town. The hill represents the sole confirmed instance of surface volcanic activity in the Black Country, its dolerite core formed around 315 million years ago during the Carboniferous period. Bronze-age burial chambers once stood on its northern flank, dating from roughly 2000 BC to 700 BC, though later quarrying removed these barrows and exposed the hard volcanic rock. In the 19th century the dolerite was extracted for road-stone, leaving visible quarry faces and hexagonal pillars that illustrate the cooling of magma. A footpath now traces part of a private railway once owned by the Earl of Dudley, preserving another layer of the area’s industrial heritage. Today the reserve encompasses a mixture of woodland, meadow and ponds, with Barrow Hill Copse providing shaded walks. The summit, rising to just over 150 m above sea level, bears a large cross commissioned by St Mark’s Church. No admission fee or visitor facilities are recorded, and access is free via the public footpaths that wind through the reserve.

Sir Cedric Hardwicke Memorial

Lye · 11 miles

The memorial takes the form of a giant filmstrip, the illuminated cut metal panels illustrating scenes from some of Sir Cedric's best-known roles, which include The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Shape of Things to Come, and The Ghost of Frankenstein.

War Memorial

Lye · 11 miles

Erected in 1926 by George Brown & Sons of Kidderminster to commemorate the men of Lye & Wollescote who died in the Great War.

Trimpley Reservoir

Upper Arley · 1.2 miles