Shirley Park

I don’t use the term ‘hidden gem’ often, many because it’s such a cliché and rarely true in these days of vapid overstatement. However, in this case it is literally true. You might never know it exists unless you’re a resident of the local patch.
I’ve lived over this side of Birmingham for over ten years and only discovered its existence a few months ago. I found it because I was trying to find Playpod (a soft play area) off the Stratford Road and stumbled upon this park by accident.
There’s plenty of green space surrounded by trees where you can play football or use the tennis courts if team games aren’t you’re thing. It’s a great place for a picnic too, even though it’s surrounded by busy residential streets.
The play ground has swings, climbing frames, various slides, those flowers that you can talk into, a roundabout, play car andfunny mirrors. Everything is in pretty good condition too. There’s also a skate park and even pitch and putt (though you have to take your own clubs and balls if you want to play.)
I don’t remember seeing any toilets because for once we didn’t need to use them, but I’m sure there must be some nearby. If you want snacks and drinks, the shops on the high street are a few minutes away.

Shirley Park is in Shirley, Solihull, close to a shopping area that is becoming more popular with people from outside the Shirley area.
The park provides relief to the frantic high street and is ideal for a family picnic. There are a wide range of activities in the Park, including pitch and putt, and a range of events through out the summer months. The Donkey Derby is one of my favourites. It is a large outdoor summer fair with lots of animals to interact with
I was lucky enough to speak to the parks warden and he told me the Park was originally home to farmland, which was bought up in 1927. At a later stage additional features were introduced which included an ornamental garden and formal walkways.
A walk through the woods of the park is especially pleasant in spring when the bluebells produce a vivid array of colours. It is also possible to view wildfowl as the pond is used on a frequent basis by birds and wildlife.
Play equipment includes: — Junior & toddler swings, Junior & toddler multi play, Senior & junior mound slide, Talking flowers, Horse springers, reveloution roundabout, play car and crazy mirrors.
I grew up in the area as a child and have fond memories of this park, to the extent that I visit it most weeks.

We only live down the road from this park but never knew it was there until a few months ago. It’s a large park with lots of grass an there’s also quite a big childrens playground tha has roundabouts, swings, slides etc plus ramps for older children to skateboard on. It always seems really busy with children at weekends and in holidays so seems a safe place.
It’s a nice walk through to the shops down Stratford Road to avoid the main street, however, the access from Haslucks Green Road is often flooded and too wet to take a buggy or pram through.

A good sized park. With a car park next to it and lots of different ways to access it from different parts of Shirley. It has a small playground with slides, swings, roundabout, climbing frames for younger and older children and a skateboard ramps section as well as some football/​basketball pitches. They have fun days /​fayres throughout the year in the park usually around summer. It is big enough to enjoy a nice walk around and enjoy the fresh air. The Solihull enterprise vans are there often tidying up everything. There are shops are just in front of the park