Solihull Parks and Nature Reserves

Solihull has some beautiful parks, totalling over 1,500 acres for strolling and dog walking. Some have play equipment, lakes and formal gardens but the thing they all have in common is trees – and a wonderful variety of them.

In addition to the parks are 23 nature reserves designated by Nature England. The reserves total nearly 500 acres of wildlife habitat and benefit from dedicated volunteers who undertake valuable conservation work.

The motto of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council is “Urbs in Rure” – meaning “Town in the Country” and sums up the rural nature of our town.

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Our Favourite Solihull Parks

• Babbs Mill Park and Nature Reserve in Kingshurst was created in commemoration of the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977. As a local nature reserve, it’s home to varied wildlife, including many owls and bats. The River Cole flows through the park, which also features wildflower grassland, a beautiful lake and woodland.
• Bentley Heath Recreation Ground is a fun place for all with its skate park, tennis court and multi-sports courts. There's also a multi-play area for toddlers so a great park for all the family.
• Damson Lane Park has a comprehensive kids' play area with trampoline, overhead rotator and lots more to keep them occupied. For the older kids and adults there's a sports wall, football pitches and even outdoor gym equipment.
• Dorridge Park and Dorridge Wood Nature Reserve is one of Solihull's green flag parks and intended to bring a rural feel to the town, although it also contains a fantastic kids' play area. Dorridge Wood houses a lot of wildlife and beautiful wild flowers, as well as ancient woodlands with established oak, ash and beech trees. Well worth a visit and an area kids love to explore.
• Elmdon Nature Park was created from a derelict site on the outskirts of Solihull and houses the remains of a walled garden. It’s managed by the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust and provides lovely views from the hills in the park. Explore the heritage trail or the walled garden for an adventurous day out away from it all.
• Hillfield Park is a large landscaped park with walking trails and lake. Refurbishment of the play area has been undertaken by the Playbuilder Project, so this is a great park for kids to enjoy the latest equipment and games.
  
• Kingshurst Park is one of Solihull's smaller parks, situated right next to the local shopping area with a small but refurbished play area.
  
• Knowle Park is a local nature reserve, but much more. It houses ornamental gardens and a pond and hosts events in the summer, including the annual Knowle Park music event. The park has outdoor gym equipment and a comprehensive kids play area, including zip wire and an activity trail complete with climbing net.
  
• Lanchester Park
• Langley Hall Park
• Lavender Hall Park
• Malvern and Brueton Parks
• Marston Green Park
• Meriden Park
• Millison’s Wood Local Nature Reserve
• Olton Jubilee Park
• Shirley Park
• Tudor Grange Park

Park Rules

A quick search on Google will reveal details of most of the parks you can visit and here is a summary of the council guidelines to protect and care for these valuable open places and to make them fabulous destinations for us all.

• Take litter home or dispose of it in the bins provided
• Use paths and observe signs, respect wildlife and flowers and close gates behind you
• Park responsibly in the carparks, without blocking other cars or entrances or parking on verges
• Take care to lock your car and ensure valuables are not on display
• Walk dogs responsibly, use the waste bins and keep dogs on a lead where possible. Dogs should be wearing a collar and tag and mustn’t be taken into playgrounds.