Blakebrook

Mary Stevens Park

Oldswinford · 6.2 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 · 7.5 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.

Saltwells National Nature Reserve Black Country Geosite

Pear Tree Lane - Industrial Estate · 9.9 miles

The site offers a rare combination of natural woodland, grassland and industrial archaeology within the West Midlands. Established in 1981, the 247-acre Saltwells Local Nature Reserve lies in the Netherton area, roughly two miles south of Dudley and adjacent to the Pear Tree Lane industrial estate. Its boundaries follow the Cinderbank Road (A459) to the north-east and the A4100 to the south, while the Tipsyford and Mousesweet brooks mark its western edge. Within the reserve lie two Sites of Special Scientific Interest – Doulton’s Claypit and Brewin’s Canal Section – and a scheduled ancient monument that records medieval coal-mining activity. Visitors can walk along Hall Lane, the historic route to the demolished Netherton Hall, and encounter the small Daphne Pool set among gorse-covered slopes of Netherton Hill. The southern portion, Saltwells Wood, is an 18th-century plantation noted for bluebell carpets in spring and contains wooden and metal sculptures created with input from local schools and artists. Remains of opencast and underground coal extraction, as well as the canal cutting dating from the 1858 improvements, are visible along the paths. The Saltwells Inn, an 18th-century public house within the reserve, provides traditional British pub fare and local ales, offering a convenient stop for walkers. No specific admission fee or opening hours are detailed. Access is via Cinderbank Road (A459), the A4100 and the footpaths that run through the reserve.

Barrow Hill Local Nature Reserve Black Country Geosite

Cooper's Bank · 11 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.

The Leasowes

Webb's Green · 11 miles

A 57-hectare estate set on the edge of Webb’s Green, The Leasowes combines historic house, garden and open parkland within the Halesowen area. The name translates as “rough pasture land”, and the grounds are recorded on English Heritage’s Register of Parks and Gardens at Grade I. Part of the site is occupied by Halesowen Golf Club, while the remainder is maintained as a public park under the care of the local council. The landscape originated between 1743 and 1763 as a ferme ornée created by the poet William Shenstone, whose design aimed for an unadorned, pastoral feel that later attracted commentary from contemporary writers. After Shenstone’s death, Edward Horne acquired the property, replaced the original house with a new building completed around 1776 and added a walled garden and hothouse. Subsequent owners, including Major Francis Halliday, introduced features such as a stone portico and a whimsical hermitage, though later proprietors made little effort to preserve Shenstone’s original layout, leading to a period of decline by the 1820s. The council purchased the estate in 1934, converting it into a publicly accessible park while leasing part to the golf club. A restoration programme carried out from May 2008 to January 2009 reinstated many 18th-century elements and introduced a linear lake within the former Lapal canal, enhancing the historic scenery.

Bumble Hole Nature Reserve Black Country Geosite

Gad's Green · 11 miles

Once a hub of coal mining, clay extraction, coke furnaces and boat building, the area now known as Bumble Hole Local Nature Reserve offers a mix of water and land habitats within the Netherton district of Dudley Metropolitan Borough, West Midlands. The reserve lies to the east of Netherton, roughly 1.5 miles south of Dudley and on the border with Sandwell, with the main entry point on St Peter’s Road. It is managed by Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council and the nearest settlement recorded on OpenStreetMap is Gad’s Green. Designated as a local nature reserve in 1996, the site forms a contiguous green space together with the adjoining Warren’s Hall reserve, although no physical boundary separates the two. The landscape is characterised by grassland strips, small wooded copses and a network of waterways. The Dudley No 2 Canal enters the reserve and splits into two short arms – the Bumble Hole Branch and the Bushboil Arm – before reaching Bumble Hole Lake, a former clay pit that now forms the largest pond on the site. A volunteer-run visitor centre beside the canal provides information, refreshments and toilet facilities, and a football pitch is available for local use. Each September the combined reserves host an annual boating festival, drawing canal boats, market stalls, guided trips and a small funfair.