Spernal

Tudor Grange Park

Blossomfield · 11 miles

The park lies on the edge of Solihull in the West Midlands, within easy walking distance of the town centre and directly beside the local railway station and Tudor Grange Leisure Centre. Council documentation describes it as an informal recreation space cut through by the Alder Brook, a stream that feeds a small lake attracting geese, mute swans, ducks, moorhens and coots. The venue also hosts larger community gatherings such as the Solihull Carnival. Acquired by the council in 1946, the site was previously farmland owned by the Bird family, known for the Bird’s Custard brand, whose former residence now forms part of Solihull College. Modern amenities include a children’s play area, a skate park installed in 2003, a pitch-and-putt course at the south-west end, and a cycle track that forms a 1 km figure-of-eight circuit. The track, built with a grant from Sport England and designed alongside British Cycling and local clubs, serves both training purposes and casual riding. Additional facilities introduced during the 2008 redevelopment comprise outdoor gym equipment such as a rowing machine and wall bars, new footpaths, improved lighting, CCTV coverage, and refreshed bridges over the stream. Visitors can reach the park on foot from the town centre or by train, alighting at the adjacent station. The surrounding landscape features semi-mature native trees—including oak, birch, alder and black poplar—planted as part of the recent landscaping scheme. Pathways and hard-standing areas provide clear routes throughout, making the park accessible for a range of activities from walking and wildlife watching to cycling and organised events.

Cadbury World

Bournbrook · 12 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.

Lapworth Museum of Geology

Metchley · 14 miles

The Lapworth Museum of Geology is a geological museum run by the University of Birmingham and located on the university's campus in Edgbaston, south Birmingham, England. The museum is named after the geologist Charles Lapworth, its origins dating back to 1880. It reopened in 2016 following a £2.7 million redevelopment project that created new galleries and displays, as well as modern visitor and educational facilities.

Abbey Fields

Abbey Fields · 14 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.

Back To Backs

Chinese Quarter · 15 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.

The Leasowes

Webb's Green · 15 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.