Hope Coppice became Solihull’s 17th Green Flag Park recently and is a gem of a place to visit. Access is quite easy via highway or public footpath (see map). It is a ‘must visit’ place with children during the school holidays. Plenty for them to get up to. Why not take a picnic? Situated on … More Hope Coppice
A jewel on our doorsteps and whilst many of the houses on one side of the Engine Lake are in Solihull borough, the lake itself is not, and forms the boundary with Warwickshire. There are three lakes in all. The Canal and Rivers Trust have done a fantastic job in renovating the paths and the … More EARLSWOOD LAKES
I joined many others, including my grandsons school pals, planting trees at Hope Coppice last week. The headlines of the from the planting are: Hope Coppice becomes first location of the Severn Trent and Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Forests with 9,400 trees First day of planting took place on World Wildlife Day, Thursday 3 March, with … More Solihull Council teams up with Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and Severn Trent for Commonwealth Forest at Hope Coppice
Being local I have for a long time been aware of the country park around Blythe Valley Park and this great weather (as well as having more time to enjoy our environment) has taken me and Millie to Blythe Valley Park regularly. It is though no coincidence that the re-opening of the truly excellent Java … More BLYTHE VALLEY PARK – A gem on our doorstep
This is a continuation of the walk, from Monkspath, over the motorway to the River Blythe; see this link for details: https://cllrkenhawkins.co.uk/2017/08/03/river-blythe-walk-from-monkspath/ This about a 1.5 mile extension, through Solihull Riding Club land, via a public footpath, then walking back on the pavement along Four Ashes Road, then back to the river via another public footpath … More Blythe Walk – extention
Yesterday Jan and I, together with Mille, undertook the5 and bit miles circular walk encompassing Baddesley Clinton and Packwood House, both National Trust properties. The walk is available on-line via this link: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/packwood-house/trails/packwood-house-to-baddesley-clinton-walk The walk is easy, with no climbing and all fields/paths were dry. I have posted my own route because we started from … More Baddesley Clinton – Local National Trust Walk
As promised, another short walk that can be reached from Monkspath. This one uses a public footpath, crosses the M42 motorway and onwards to the river itself. Here children can walk in the shallows, where small fish can be found. The walk starts off Shelly Crescent, Monkspath, entering the tarmac footpath that runs parallel to … More River Blythe walk – from Monkspath
There are still a lot of local people who are not aware of the walk via the ridgeway in Hillfield Local Nature Reserve. The circular walk, which you can start at several points but I do so near to the footbridge over the stream close to the lake, is about a mile in length and … More Hillfield Local Nature Reserve – a walk near Monkspath
Ken Hawkins 