Swanshurst Park

Swanshurt Park is one of my favourite places to walk the dog — it has free parking with ample spaces and, importantly, many bins around to dipose of dog poop! There is a childrens play area but i cant comment on this as i never go and have a look around there as we tend to stick to walking around the beautiful lake (many swans and other birds). I like how you can do a short walk around the lake or venture further afield for a longer walk — its very close to Moseley Bog and the beautiful walk along the river Cole. Its a gem of a park :)

Swanshurst Park is located on the Moseley and Billesley border. It’s a vast green area with more open space than forestry. It was used for grazing prior to World War II.
There are two lakes that were home to many swans. However, recently they have been affected by the dry winters. Sadly this appears to have affected the dwindling duck population too.
If you fancy a spot of golf, there is a golf course within the grounds. The hilly landscape makes it ideal for the sport.
There is a small car park off the Yardley Wood Road that leads to a play area, where I have spent many a time in my teenage years — possibly more than I’d like to admit! The park is near several schools and a residential area, so it tends to get busy in the holidays and weekends.
There is a large bank that makes it ideal for dog walkers and runners.

I’ve always been a fan of this park as it reminds me, for some reason, of several London parks. The possible reason for this is the fact that it is surrounded on all four sides by roads that, due to the natural bowl-​shape of the park itself, are always visible but far enough away not to be too much of a distraction.
The other advantage of Swanshurst is that it provides a respite from the bustle of Kings Heath and surrounding areas. Even if you live as far away as Moseley I’d recommend a stroll up through the wide streets to have a nose around this place.
The main feature of the park is a truly impressive pond which sits just off the centre of the park. There is a gentle slope which leads down to the pool that makes it an ideal spot for a sit down, particularly at dusk when the multitude of bird life start to settle down for the evening.

Swanshurst Park is, to me, one of Birmingham’s best parks. For these reasons:
1) There are not one, but two large pools. A lot of parks in this neck of the woods are sadly lacking in water features, and Swanshurst has two. The larger of the two — Moseley Pool — is really beautiful, and surrounded, when I went there last week, with brilliant Spring flowers. It’s an important site for various wildfowl too.
2) There is a car park. A good sized, easy accessible, free car park
3) There is a children’s play area. This is near the car park so a) little legs don’t have to walk far and b) if you fancy a more ‘adult’ stroll it’s easy to get away into the wide yonder, beyond the shrieks of children.
4) It has a lovely combination of wide expanse and heath type landscapes, so you get that relieving feeling of space but there are also little pockets of heath to explore.
For me, the greatest thing that this park offers is that expansive sense of space — much welcomed amongst the suburbs of south Birmingham.

When I’m sitting on the number 11 bus route, Swanshurst Park never fails to capture my attention, and I find myself getting off the bus to have a stroll around this beautiful grassland on countless occasions.
The park has one large pool and one smaller pool, which are both great to walk around. The only problem with the area is that it is surrounded by roads, so you can’t really indulge yourself fully in a piece of the countryside. Although, I often find myself just staring into the pool for fish, so that grasps my attention enough for me. Also, I have to admit, I’m a big fan of feeding the ducks, and the size of the pool is perfect for this activity, as you end up with hoard of birds surrounding your feet.
The large grass area is great for football matches and other sports, and the play area is perfect for kids. The park is also taken over by a Circus every year, and the land holds these sorts of events flawlessly.