If you’re looking for local walks in the West Midlands, look no further. I’ve gathered the best walks and outdoor places in the area — and saved them all on a map, so it’s easy to pick your next trip out.
Spring is just around the corner, and there’s no better time to get outside and enjoy the changing seasons.
The walks
01
Worcestershire · 10 miles from Birmingham
Clent Hills
Ten miles from the city centre and wonderful at sunset — on a clear day you can see the Cotswolds, the Shropshire Hills, Malvern and the Black Mountains. Finish with tea and a bacon sandwich at the National Trust cafe.
02
10 miles from Birmingham
Lickey Hills Country Park
A 524-acre park, once a royal hunting reserve, sold to the Cadbury family in 1907. The hill reaches 298 metres, with miles of trails.
03
Walsall
Walsall Arboretum
The first ‘People’s Park’, opened in 1874 — 170 acres of green space, play areas and a boating lake, 20 minutes’ walk from town. Start at Hatherton Boating Lake.
04
Dudley
Baggeridge Country Park & Himley Hall
Park at either end and walk between them, past fishing pools with ducklings in spring. Food, drinks and toilets at both car parks.
05
6 miles north of the city
Sutton Park
A 2,400-acre National Nature Reserve of heath, ancient woodland, lakes and marsh, with grazing cattle and wild ponies. Free entry; parking is charged on summer weekends.
06
Sandwell
Sandwell Valley Country Park
660 acres on the River Tame — woods, pools, farmland and streams, with surfaced paths for access and dirt tracks for the countryside feel.
07
Wolverhampton · National Trust
Wightwick Manor
A Victorian manor full of William Morris wallpapers and fabrics, with gardens open all year and a takeaway cafe. Smestow Valley Nature Reserve is close by.
08
Wolverhampton to Pensnett
South Staffordshire Railway Walk
Eleven road-free miles from Wolverhampton to Pensnett along a railway closed in 1965, with picnic sites — though it gets muddy after Himley.
09
Opposite Merry Hill
Saltwells Nature Reserve
The borough’s biggest woodland, carpeted with bluebells in spring, with the region’s largest sculpture park and 12 species of dragonfly.
10
Edgbaston
Birmingham Botanical Gardens
Fifteen acres in Edgbaston with four glasshouses, from rainforest to desert — at their best in mid to late spring.
Good to know
Before you head out
- Save the map All ten walks, plus nature reserves and woodland trails nearby, are on the free map.
- Pick your season Bluebells in spring at Clent and Saltwells; ducklings at Baggeridge; glasshouses for a rainy day.
- Boots for the railway walk The South Staffordshire route is surfaced at first, but muddy beyond Himley.
