Fox Hollies Park through the years along the Westley Brook

Fox Hollies Park is located on the Shirley Road between Acocks Green and Hall Green, and stretches as far as Gospel Lane. This park is quite small and has the Westley Brook flowing through it. Playgrounds at both ends and a small lake as well. To the west end is close to Fox Hollies Leisure Centre (but is not part of the park). Paths for walks, that can also be enjoyed by dog walkers too.

Fox Hollies Park

This park is located on the Shirley Road in Acocks Green, close to Hall Green. It stretches along the Westley Brook towards Gospel Lane, which isn't too far from Gospel Oak and Olton in Solihull on the Warwick Road. Other nearby roads surrounding the park include Pool Farm Road, Oakhurst Road and Severne Road. There is two playgrounds, one close to the Shirley Road entrance, the other near Gospel Lane. There is also a small lake / pond where you will find many of the usual bird species to be found in a park like this.

Most of the time I hardly see many people walking around this park. Maybe the odd person walking a dog. Assume that cyclists may pass through here. Or occasionally families using the playground in decent weather. Then again I've only been through it in the winter.

2010

These views of Fox Hollies Park from Shirley Road during December 2010. A snowy walk up Shirley Road and a look at the park. I did not enter the park at this time.

dndimg alt="Fox Hollies Park" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Fox Hollies Park snow (Dec 2010) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

The playground covered in snow. Three people on a morning jog through the snow covered park.

dndimg alt="Fox Hollies Park" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Fox Hollies Park snow (Dec 2010) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Another view of the playground.

dndimg alt="Fox Hollies Park" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Fox Hollies Park snow (Dec 2010) (3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

The old Birmingham City Council - Fox Hollies Park sign. It was already looking dirty when it was covered in snow.

dndimg alt="Fox Hollies Park" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Fox Hollies Park snow (Dec 2010) (4).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Entrance to the park from Shirley Road. These old railings survived until at least 2017 or 2018 when they were replaced by the Council all the way around the park.

dndimg alt="Fox Hollies Park" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Fox Hollies Park snow (Dec 2010) (5).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

This from close to the entrance of Fox Hollies Leisure Centre. Apparently the Yardley Constituency Office is also there. The office for the Birmingham Yardley MP is now on Yardley Road in Acocks Green (Jess Phillips MP from 2015 to present). John Hemming used be the MP from 2005 to 2015.

dndimg alt="Fox Hollies Park" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Fox Hollies Park snow (Dec 2010) (6).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

View of the park from the opposite side of the Shirley Road. A Council advert about visiting Santa in his Grotto.

dndimg alt="Fox Hollies Park" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Fox Hollies Park snow (Dec 2010) (7).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

The furthest end of the park to the right on Shirley Road.

dndimg alt="Fox Hollies Park" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Fox Hollies Park snow (Dec 2010) (8).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

2017

I didn't really do an actual walk through Fox Hollies Park until January 2017. Getting in on the Shirley Road I walked as far as the Gospel Lane exit. Leaves on the lawn looking like it was still autumn.

dndimg alt="Fox Hollies Park" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Fox Hollies Park (Jan 2017) (1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Passing the empty playground which is close to the Shirley Road entrance.

dndimg alt="Fox Hollies Park" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Fox Hollies Park (Jan 2017) (2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

The path curving around to the left.

dndimg alt="Fox Hollies Park" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Fox Hollies Park (Jan 2017) (3).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Straight ahead on the path. This more or less is close to Oakhurst Road (which is to the right of here on the other side of the trees and houses).

dndimg alt="Fox Hollies Park" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Fox Hollies Park (Jan 2017) (4).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Path up to the trees.

dndimg alt="Fox Hollies Park" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Fox Hollies Park (Jan 2017) (5).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Distant houses probably on Pool Farm Road.

dndimg alt="Fox Hollies Park" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Fox Hollies Park (Jan 2017) (6).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Two paths in two different directions.

dndimg alt="Fox Hollies Park" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Fox Hollies Park (Jan 2017) (7).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

The path up to Gospel Lane. The second playground is to the far right of here.

dndimg alt="Fox Hollies Park" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Fox Hollies Park (January 2017).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

A look at the pond / lake. Bit hard to get decent views of it, trees in the way.

dndimg alt="Fox Hollies Park" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Fox Hollies Park (Jan 2017) (8).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

2018

Another walk round Fox Hollies Park, this time during December 2018. Slightly different route this time. And the Council was installing new wooden railings and bollards throughout the park. This footbridge crossing the Westley Brook.

dndimg alt="Fox Hollies Park" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Fox Hollies Park (Dec 2018) (1) .jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

The Wesley Brook from one side.

dndimg alt="Fox Hollies Park" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Fox Hollies Park (Dec 2018) (2) .jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

And from the other side.

dndimg alt="Fox Hollies Park" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Fox Hollies Park (Dec 2018) (3) .jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

One of the new Welcome to Fox Hollies Park wooden sign and entrance with metal bars. This was on Pool Farm Road.

dndimg alt="Fox Hollies Park" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Fox Hollies Park (Dec 2018) (4) .jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

I wasn't quite finished with Fox Hollies Park, so I walked up to the second entrance on Pool Farm Road. Still had the old Council sign on the right.

dndimg alt="Fox Hollies Park" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Fox Hollies Park (Dec 2018) (5) .jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

A close up look at the slide in the playground close to Gospel Lane.

dndimg alt="Fox Hollies Park" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Fox Hollies Park (Dec 2018) (6) .jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Back of the new exit / entrance to Gospel Lane.

dndimg alt="Fox Hollies Park" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Fox Hollies Park (Dec 2018) (7) .jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

And the front side with Welcome to Fox Hollies Park. As you can see it's near the playground at the Gospel Lane end. From here you can catch the no 4A bus to Birmingham.

dndimg alt="Fox Hollies Park" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Fox Hollies Park (Dec 2018) (8) .jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

2019

On Christmas Eve Eve in December 2019, I was walking up Shirley Road and remembered that they were installing the new railings here the year before. Seem to recall hoping over the old railings, but they hadn't finished the new ones. A year on and it is complete.

dndimg alt="Fox Hollies Park" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Fox Hollies Park Shirley Rd (Dec 2019) (1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

As well as the new Welcome to Fox Hollies Park wooden entrance sign, the Council has also installed a new sign on the left.

dndimg alt="Fox Hollies Park" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Fox Hollies Park Shirley Rd (Dec 2019) (2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

The new railings are slightly higher than the old ones, tries to make the park look nice and modern.

dndimg alt="Fox Hollies Park" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Fox Hollies Park Shirley Rd (Dec 2019) (3).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Hopefully other City parks will get new railings like these. But it would be nice for more people to use Fox Hollies Park. It's just a quiet out of the way park, that other than locals, people wouldn't really be aware of.

dndimg alt="Fox Hollies Park" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Fox Hollies Park Shirley Rd (Dec 2019) (4).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Merry Christmas 2019 and a Happy New Year 2020. Oh and Happy Hanukkah (will all be over when this gets published). More park posts to come in 2020. Look out for Witton Lakes Park, Brookvale Park and the Oaklands Recreation Ground.

 

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown.