Brueton Park in Solihull is one of the country’s best kept secrets. With nearly 130 acres of open space, the park is an oasis of calm surrounded by the bustling West Midlands conurbation. Walking through its wonderful, peaceful gardens, it is hard to believe that one is so close to Britain’s second largest city and that one of the country’s busiest motorways, the M42, skirts the park’s perimeter. A visit to the park is really a pleasure.
The park comprises three separate areas: Malvern Park, Brueton Park and the Parkridge nature reserve. Malvern Park was laid out by the local council in 1926 on land which was originally part of the Malvern Hall estate. Entrance to the park is a short walk from Solihull town centre. Brueton Park was kindly given to Solihull council in 1944 by Ernest Brueton and the two parks were formally linked in 1963.
The river Blythe runs through the southern part of the park and this area is quite marshy and prone to flooding. The area became a haven for wildlife and it achieved Local Nature Reserve status in 2002 in recognition of its importance to wildlife. The reserve is now managed by the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust as the Parkridge nature reserve.
The park has traditional sports facilities such as tennis for visitors to enjoy but the truly special feature of the park is the nature reserve. There are paths through the nature reserves and safe wooden walkways where the ground is marshy.
One can follow the river Blythe as it flows idly by or one can simply sit by the side of the lake and enjoy the sight of ducks, geese and swans as they glide across the water.
A walk through the reserve could then be followed by a well earned tea and cake at the excellent Parkridge visitor centre. There was a delicious carrot cake on offer when we last visited!
Access to the park is easy as it is so close to Solihull town centre. As mentioned, the M42 runs close by so making the park an easy driving destination for non-local travellers. The park has car parks but they are limited in space and tend to fill early. There is ample parking close by in Solihull town centre.
The park has many attractions for the visitor. The “Prancing Horse and Man” is a Victorian work of art which has greeted park visitors since 1944. It was donated by Oliver Bird of Bird’s Custard fame and created by the eminent Victorian sculptor, Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm.
The park is popular with joggers and runners as it is flat and has plenty of wide paths to run along. The park hosts a Saturday morning 5K Parkrun though this has been postponed till Covid 19 restrictions are lifted.
The park is home to colourful plants from around the world. Thanks for this diversity can be given to Ernest Wilson who travelled the world in a quest for exotic flora which he then brought back to decorate the park. The park has a small monument to “Chinese Wison”.
Brueton is a little gem . We have always enjoyed our visits. We hope you do too.
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Godiva Travellers 