Brereton

Wryley & Essington Canal Local Nature Reserve

Wallington Heath · 9.9 miles

The waterway that runs through the countryside near Wallington Heath carries the dual identity of a historic canal and a protected green space. Known locally as “the Curly Wyrley”, the stretch of the Wyrley and Essington Canal was formally designated a Local Nature Reserve on 7 May 2008 and is managed by South Staffordshire Council. Its status as a reserve adds a wildlife-focused dimension to a route originally cut to move coal, limestone and other mineral products across the English Midlands. Construction of the canal began after the Birmingham Canal Navigation Act received royal assent on 30 April 1792, authorising a link from the Birmingham Canal near Wolverhampton to Wyrley Bank. The appointed engineer was William Pitt, and the level section to Sneyd Junction opened in November 1794. Subsequent legislation in 1794 extended the line past Lichfield to Huddlesford Junction and added branches to the Hay Head Limeworks and various coal pits. While the original main line reached Ogley Junction near Brownhills, parts of the network are now derelict and the navigable section terminates at that point. The canal’s historic role in supplying cheap coal to Lichfield and supporting local collieries and ironworks remains evident in the landscape that now supports the nature reserve. Visitors can locate the reserve using Wallington Heath as a reference point; the council’s stewardship began with the 2008 designation. No admission charge or visitor facilities are recorded in the supplied material, so access is governed by the general rights of way that apply to the canal corridor.

Sutton Park National Nature Reserve

Little Aston · 13 miles

Spanning more than 2,200 acres of heath, wetland and ancient woodland, Sutton Park National Nature Reserve lies on the edge of Sutton Coldfield in Birmingham, close to the Little Aston area of the West Midlands. Managed by Birmingham City Council since its designation as a nature reserve in 1997, the site offers unrestricted public entry and permits dogs throughout the grounds. Visitors can wander among seven lakes, explore a network of trails suitable for dog walking, pony trekking, mountain biking and kite-flying, or try the designated zones for model aeroplanes and helicopters. A visitor centre, several cafés, a municipal golf course to the south and a private 18-hole course on the western fringe complement the playgrounds, while a former donkey sanctuary now stands closed. Parking arrangements are currently under review, but no admission fee is required. The landscape bears evidence of continuous human use from the Iron Age onward, including burnt mounds, a prehistoric well and a preserved stretch of the Roman Icknield Street, still walkable near the Royal Oak Gate. Royal connections date back to the ninth-century Mercian forest, later becoming a Norman deer park and, in 1528, a royal grant to Sutton Coldfield by Henry VIII. Features such as Wyndley Pool, possibly of twelfth-century origin, and other historic pools created for watermills illustrate the park’s long-standing water management. A railway line cut through the area in 1879, with a now-defunct station closed in 1964, and the site has hosted wartime camps, the 1957 World Scout Jamboree and a 1992 BBC Radio 1 roadshow. Regular events include a free 5 km parkrun each Saturday at 09:00 from Boldmere Gate, alongside numerous organised runs throughout the year.

Bliston Craft Gallery and Library

Bilston · 15 miles

A substantial craft venue occupies a former stone house on Mount Pleasant, just off Bilston town centre. The two-storey residence was erected in 1905 for the Harper family, noted local lock manufacturers, and replaced an earlier Regency building, Brueton House, dated 1818. After serving as Bilston Girls High School from 1918, the property was remodelled with a rear extension and, from 1937, housed the Bilston Art Gallery and Museum before being re-styled as Bilston Craft Gallery in the 1990s. The building now also accommodates Bilston Library and is listed by Wolverhampton City Council. The gallery’s permanent display, titled Craftsense, juxtaposes eighteenth-century industrial objects with contemporary pieces that employ similar techniques, centring on a collection of nearly one hundred Bilston enamels. These enamels, removed to Bantock House during the 1990s re-organisation, were reinstated in 2005 when the Craftsense gallery opened, forming one of the country’s largest enamel groups after the Victoria and Albert Museum. Temporary exhibitions showcase modern craft, while the Crafts Council Photostore offers access to over a thousand designer-makers. Educational provisions include the pre-school-focused Craftplay area and a hireable First Floor Gallery for community exhibitions. A sizeable garden at the rear features floral planting together with craft works such as two carved wooden dragons by Graham Jones and a circle of stone sculptures. Admission is free, opening times are published on the listing, and the venue is readily reachable from Bilston.

Wednesbury Museum & Art Gallery

Wednesbury · 15 miles

The purpose-built Victorian gallery in Wednesbury, West Midlands, stands as a listed historic building that houses a range of local collections. Erected in 1891 to display the artworks donated by Mary Ann Richards in memory of her husband Edwin, the structure was designed by the West Bromwich firm Wood and Kendrick and features four façade panels depicting Sir Christopher Wren, Sir Joshua Reynolds, John Flaxman and Sir Isaac Newton, alongside busts of former mayors Alderman Williams and Alderman Lloyd. After serving as council offices following the Second World War, the premises returned to museum use in 1972 following modernisation and renovation. Inside, the permanent displays include the Ruskin Pottery collection, noted for its varied glazes such as Bleu Soufflé, lustre and crystalline finishes, and the Richards Gallery, which presents fifty-four landscape paintings from the Richards bequest, many of which survived wartime storage in Kinver caves. Additional galleries hold a selection of Victorian-era toys and games for Key Stage 1 activities, works by local artist Joseph Gibbs—including a probable post-humous portrait of Mary Ann Richards—and the Crimean War medals of former mayor Alderman John Ashley Kilvert, recently restored to the museum after a complex provenance. Temporary exhibitions rotate roughly every six months; notable past shows have featured the inaugural public presentation of the Stuckism movement, a video art programme with Bill Viola, and portrait loans from Ingestre Hall. The museum is identified on OpenStreetMap as a history-type museum in Wednesbury and is recorded on the Historic England register.

New Hall Valley Country Park

Thimble End · 15 miles

The area between Walmley, Wylde Green and Pype Hayes in north Birmingham now hosts a sizeable green space that was the first country park created in the United Kingdom after a ten-year gap. Opened on 29 August 2005, the site was laid out by Birmingham City Council after the New Hall Manor Estate development released the necessary land. Spanning more than 160 acres of designated green-belt, the park incorporates ancient woodland, historic wet-land grazing meadows, former farmland and a stretch of Plants Brook. Adjacent to privately owned listed structures, the 17th-century Grade II listed New Hall Mill – a working water mill – has been restored and can be visited on selected days or by prior arrangement. A network of cycle routes and footpaths weaves through the landscape, linking a plant nursery, a nature-conservation area and two children’s play zones. Visitors can reach the park on foot from several points: the bottom of Reddicap Hill Road off Coleshill Road, under the railway bridges on Ebrook Road and East View Road, from Fledburgh Drive on the New Hall Estate, and via the cycle path from the New Hall Manor Estate. A car park on Wylde Green Road beside Bishop Walsh Catholic School provides additional access, as does a route from the northern end of Pype Hayes Park along Plants Brook, and a crossing from Plants Brook Local Nature Reserve via Eachelhurst Road towards Penns Lane. Admission is unrestricted, and the park’s facilities are open throughout the year.

Forge Mill Lake Local Nature Reserve Black Country Geosite

Newton · 16 miles

A 63-hectare lakeside reserve in Sandwell Valley provides a mixture of water, meadow and woodland habitats close to West Bromwich in the West Midlands. The lake, also known as Sandwell Valley Storage Lake, lies alongside the River Tame and was completed in 1981 as part of flood-alleviation works. Managed by Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, the site was designated a Local Nature Reserve in 1991 and forms part of the wider Sandwell Valley Country Park. One of the two islands in the lake falls under the care of the RSPB, linking the reserve to the adjacent Sandwell Valley RSPB reserve. A footpath encircles the water, while additional pathways, a cycleway and a bridleway connect surrounding wildflower meadows and planted woodlands. The visitor centre at Forge Mill Farm supplies information for walkers and birdwatchers. During winter the lake attracts wigeon, snipe, water rail and other less common wildfowl; in spring and autumn migrating birds may be observed passing through the area. As of 2020 the lake is undergoing remodelling under the Perry Barr and Witton flood-risk management scheme, which is increasing its storage capacity. The reserve is operated by Sandwell MBC, with the nearest town listed as Newton, and can be accessed on foot or by bicycle via the network of paths that link the site to the surrounding parkland.