Solihull

Back To Backs

Chinese Quarter · 6.2 miles

The city’s only surviving court of back-to-back houses offers a rare glimpse of the cramped, courtyard-based terraces that once housed thousands of industrial workers. Set on 50–54 Inge Street and 55–63 Hurst Street, the court lies adjacent to Birmingham’s Chinese Quarter and is run as a historic house museum by the National Trust, with an admission charge required. Inside, four separate dwellings have been restored and furnished to represent distinct periods – the 1840s, 1870s, 1930s and 1970s – illustrating how living conditions and interiors evolved over a century and a half. The original occupants were skilled artisans such as button makers, glassworkers, jewellers and tailors, many of whom worked from home; records show over 500 families lived in Court 15. By the early 20th century the ground floors had been converted into shops, later including a tailor’s premises once owned by George Saunders, whose voice now narrates his story in a recorded exhibit. The court received Grade II listed status in 1988, was surveyed by the City of Hereford Archaeological Unit in 1995, and was restored by the Birmingham Conservation Trust before opening to visitors on 21 July 2004. Visitors reach the site on foot from the Chinese Quarter; the museum is operated by the National Trust and charges an entry fee. No additional facilities are detailed in the source material.

Cadbury World

Bournbrook · 6.2 miles

Cadbury World is a visitor attraction in Bournville, Birmingham, England, featuring a self-guided exhibition tour, created and run by the Cadbury Company. The tour tells the history of chocolate, and of the Cadbury business.

Edgbaston Reservoir Local Nature Reserve

Ladywood · 8.1 miles

70 acre site, less than two miles from the City centre is a site of historic importance, designed and built by Thomas Telford in 1827 to supply his new Main Line Canal. Friends of the Reservoir came together in 1990 to protect and promote the site.

Abbey Fields

Abbey Fields · 9.3 miles

A sizeable green space occupies the centre of Kenilworth in Warwickshire, offering both historic remnants and modern leisure facilities. The area was originally farmland attached to St Mary’s Abbey before the abbey’s dissolution in the mid-sixteenth century; today the ruins of a sandstone gatehouse and stonework from the former abbey’s doors and windows can be seen incorporated into the doorway of St Nicholas Church, a building whose origins date from the mid-sixteenth to seventeenth centuries. Within the park’s boundaries the natural lake and Finham Brook, a tributary of the River Sowe, provide water-side scenery alongside the town’s war memorial and a museum housed in an old barn that records the abbey’s history. Management of the site rests with Warwick District Council, which also operates a leisure-centre complex featuring indoor and outdoor swimming pools, five tennis courts and a large children’s play area. Visitors can obtain refreshments at the on-site café, and the volunteer group Friends of Abbey Fields assists with upkeep. The park regularly accommodates community events such as the Lions Club show, the town carnival, bonfire night activities and a Boxing Day charity duck race, and it serves as an orienteering venue for the Midlands club Octavian Droobers. Access is straightforward from the surrounding town, with no admission charge mentioned for the park or its main attractions.

Forge Mill Lake

Newton · 11 miles

A 63-hectare wetland reserve on the edge of West Bromwich provides a mix of open water, wildflower meadows and planted woodland, all linked by a network of footpaths, a cycleway and a bridleway. 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; its original capacity was 498,000 m³. Managed by Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, the site was designated a local nature reserve in 1991, and a portion—including one of the two islands—is overseen by the RSPB as part of the adjacent Sandwell Valley RSPB reserve. A visitor centre at Forge Mill Farm offers information for those exploring the area. Wildfowl are a regular feature, with winter sightings that can include wigeon, snipe and water rail, while spring and autumn migrations bring a variety of rarer birds through the lake. The reservoir continues to be altered; as of 2020 work was under way to remodel the lake and increase its capacity within the Perry Barr and Witton flood risk management scheme. Access is straightforward from the nearby town of Newton, and the surrounding pathways make it suitable for walkers, cyclists and horse riders seeking a natural setting within Sandwell Valley Country Park.

War Memorial Park

Styvechale Grange · 11 miles

Spanning roughly 48.5 hectares on the southern edge of Coventry, the park offers a substantial green space that also serves as a memorial to the 2,587 local men who lost their lives in the First World War. Opened in July 1921 after the council bought the former Styvechale common from the Gregory-Hood family, the site was later shaped by landscaped gardens and sporting fields added in the late-1920s and 1930s. A prominent 90-foot Portland-stone monument, erected in 1927 and dedicated by Field Marshal Douglas Haig, houses the Chamber of Silence where the Roll of the Fallen is displayed each Remembrance Sunday. Wartime remnants such as concrete blocks from the Second World War’s anti-aircraft installations remain near the Coat of Arms bridge. The park received a Grade II listing in 2013, the memorial itself holds a Grade II* status, and it has retained Green Flag accreditation since 2013. In July 2014, Prince William formally launched the Centenary Fields programme here. Visitors can make use of football pitches, bowling greens, a modest golf course, tennis courts, a splash-play area, a small aviary and a skateboard zone, while extensive open lawns and tree-lined pathways provide space for casual walks. A perimeter path encircles the whole area, and the venue regularly hosts events such as the Godiva Festival, Donkey Derby, Caribbean Festival, Vaisakhi Mela and weekly parkruns that attract several hundred participants. The site also accommodated Radio 1’s Big Weekend in May 2022. Access is via a large tarmacked car park off Kenilworth Road, served by a park-and-ride service to the city centre, with additional smaller car parks on Coat of Arms Bridge Road and near the northern end of Leamington Road. Admission to the park and its facilities is unrestricted.