Take the wooded walk in Hillfield Park

Second visit to Hillfield Park in Solihull. This time in mid May 2020. Took a different path around the park this time. Both car parks were closed. Found a wooded walk that takes you from Brick Kiln Lane back towards the path near the stream. Light not too bad on the lake this time.

For the post on my previous walk around Hillfield Park, click this link: Hillfield Park in Monkspath, Solihull

This visit was on Tuesday 12th May 2020.

Starting with the lake at Hillfield Park. There was Canada Geese and Domestic Ducks here.

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Close up of a pair of Domestic Ducks.

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The Domestic Ducks later moved to the back of the lake.

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Now heading up again the path past the car park and playground. Both of which were closed due to the pandemic.

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Some views of the Hillfield Park Play Area that I wasn't able to get on my first visit. As it was closed, was able to get photos without anyone using the equipment.

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To the back was a slide and monkey bars. And other equipment that usually children could climb all over (but not now).

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I'm not sure of the purpose of these blue hoops. Are children supposed to climb through them or something? (before lockdown of course).

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Saw this clenched fossil sculpture not far from the playground area.

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From the back you can see the fingers and thumb clenched into a fist.

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This time I took the path to the left towards Brick Kiln Lane.

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The paths continues. If people walked near you, we went onto the grass to stay 2 metres apart from them (if possible).

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The path curves round to the left.

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There was this football field with goalposts, but not in use.

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After reaching Brick Kiln Lane, got to a car park where Solihull Council had left the gate closed due to the pandemic concerns. But at the end of the car park was a path through the trees.

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Most of these wooded paths have the roots of the trees growing into the path, so you have to be careful where you step.

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Some leaves on the path here. This would have been two paths between a grass verge, but most of the grass has gone from people walking over it so much.

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I stopped at one point when I saw this painted rock with a smiley face resting on a tree branch. Smile. Hopefully this lockdown won't last for to many more months, but who knows when life will get back to normal?

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At some points on this walk, you could see the rest of the park down below. The wide open fields in the park, the paths and trees.

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Getting close to the end, saw this wooden decking on the path.

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Then there were dirt steps to take you down to the next path below.

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After this followed the path back into the park, and went around the side of the lake I didn't go around last time. Then just back around the lake to the starting point.

Since lockdown, I have discovered two new parks in Solihull I wasn't aware of:

1. Langley Hall Park
2. Olton Jubilee Park

Project, photos and posts for those parks coming soon.

Also look out for more Solihull park posts on Dorridge Park and Knowle Park, coming soon.

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown. Thanks for all the followers.

Hillfield Park in Monkspath, Solihull

Another park that I found on Google Maps that I wanted to check out. Hillfield Park is located in Monkspath, Solihull. Not far from Shirley and the M42. There is a footpath that you can follow along an unnamed stream from the Stratford Road. I went on a nice sunny day during January 2020. It is near the no 5 bus route and the Monkspath Business Park. Widney Manor Golf Club is nearby too.

I did not know that this park existed, when I was in Solihull Town Centre one time, I checked Google Maps and found Hillfield Park. Although that time I walked down to Tudor Grange Park, and left Hillfield Park for another time.

For my Tudor Grange Park post follow this link: Tudor Grange Park: former estate of the Bird family, now near Solihull College. And for Malvern & Brueton Parks follow this link: Malvern and Brueton Parks: from Solihull Town Centre to the M42.

OK back to Hillfield Park. First up with some history from the Wikipedia page Hillfield Park.

The park was converted from a former landfill site, and opened to the public in 1984 in Monkspath, Solihull. It covers and area of 2 acres. There is a small lake in the park. In 2009 a new children's playground was built. The park is home to a variety of birds including: swallows, swifts, herons and buzzards.

I got into the park from a public footpath that follows an unnamed stream from the Stratford Road. Starting near the Costa Coffee at the Friars Gate business park. I got off my bus on Marshall Lake Road and walked down the Stratford Road to the Costa (for a drink and toastie), before heading up the path to Hillfield Park. Was a nice day with a blue sky during January 2020. I followed the path, but briefly got off at Radway Road, and had to go up to Highlands Road, before I went down and rejoined the path. A bridge actually crosses above the path, which was a bit muddy. Eventually I got into Hillfield Park.

First view of Hillfield Park at the end of the path. Like a curtain of trees revealing the park and the green grass lawns.

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Over a small footbridge, the stream or brook flows into the lake.

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Zoom in to the lake as some gulls flew about, with other gulls in the lake itself.

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Perfect blue sky, looking back at the path I had just walked along. The Business Park was not that far away from here.

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The path around the lake briefly took me out of the park onto Lakeside Drive. And saw this pair of trees. Was too many trees around the lake on this side to see it.

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First proper view of this lake, the trees were thin enough to see it from here.

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Another perfect blue sky with the lawn looking green and shadows from the trees, as an electicity pylon is seen in the park.

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This lake was quite small in comparison to the lakes I saw a month earlier at Witton Lakes and Brookvale Park. I only went as far as the viewpoint, and not all the way around the lake.

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Mostly gulls in the lake from the viewpoint and some ducks. Was bright sunshine from this side.

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The sun shining over Hillfield Park as it reflects off the lake as several ducks swim by. Had a similar effect with the sun like this over at Witton Lakes and Brookvale Park.

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Railings around the viewpoint of the lake as there was several Domestic Ducks on the bank of the lake.

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Now heading up the path past the electricity pylon. The playground facilities was straight ahead of here, as I followed the path towards Monkspath Hall Road. There is at least one more path here that I did not follow if I ever go back.

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The blue sky that Sunday afternoon in January continued to be stunning! Bit like one of those old default Microsoft Windows wallpapers from the Windows XP era.

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Saw this footbridge over the lawn which I soon would cross, was making nice shadows from this side.

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Football goalposts in the distance and several electricity pylons on the blue sky.

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Now crossing the footbridge as it made brilliant shadows in the sunshine. Was several puddles around.

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So much bright sunshine as the sun shined above the field and electricity pylon (on the right).

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Almost near the Monkspath Hall Road exit as the trees made shadows on the lawn.

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A basketball court near the path that led to the Monkspath Hall Road exit.

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This view of the field in the park from Monkspath Hall Road.

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I headed to Shelley Crescent where I had more than half an hour to wait for a no 5 bus back to Birmingham. But saw a pair going in the Solihull direction. Probably should have got a bus back into Solihull Town Centre rather than wait ages for a bus back into Birmingham.

Another possibility (if I turned left and not right) would have to walk up Widney Lane towards Marshall Lake Road (as my regular bus route would have been more reliable on a Sunday afternoon). Or to walk towards Widney Manor Station (which was where my previous walk from Malvern & Brueton Park ended last year).

For more on my Hillfield Park photos, check out my album on Flickr: Hillfield Park.

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown. Now at 1,100 followers. Thank you.

Birmingham We Are People with Passion award winner 2020