Cofton Park is close to Longbridge and Rednal as well as being not far from the Lickey Hills Country Park. Back in April 2013, when I first tried to get to Beacon Hill, I ended up going to Cofton Park instead. At the time it was close to the MG Motor factory on Lowhill Lane. The Council bought the land in 1933.

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Cofton Park in Rednal and near Longbridge


Cofton Park in Rednal and near Longbridge


Cofton Park is close to Longbridge and Rednal as well as being not far from the Lickey Hills Country Park. Back in April 2013, when I first tried to get to Beacon Hill, I ended up going to Cofton Park instead. At the time it was close to the MG Motor factory on Lowhill Lane. The Council bought the land in 1933.


Cofton Park

Cofton Park is located close to Longbridge, and is also near Rednal and Cofton Hackett in South West Birmingham. The park is surrounded by Lowhill Lane, near what was the MG Motor factory (the Chinese owned SAIC Motor UK Technical Centre Ltd), Groveley Lane and Lickey Road. The Lickey Hills Country Park is nearby.

The park has 135 acres of rolling fields and trees, and is mainly open grassland. In the centre of the park is a small woodland. The park was once the boundary of Lowhill Farm. Birmingham City Council bought the land in 1933 from the Trustees for William Walter Hinde. He left the land in his will to be used by the people of Birmingham forever. There is an old farmhouse at the centre of the park.

Cofton Plant Nursery is also based here. Selling high quality bedding and shrubs to the public. They also make the public displays for the Chelsea Flower Show and Gardeners World Live (they later go on display around the City Centre or elsewhere in the City).

In September 2010 at Cofton Park, Pope Benedict XVI celebrated mass here for the beautification of Cardinal John Henry Newman. It was attended by a crowd of over 51,000 people. Cofton Park had a capacity of 80,000 people. Newman was later elevated to the Sainthood by Pope Francis in 2019 (but this took place in the Vatican City, Rome).

2013

In April 2013, I walked down Lickey Road heading towards the Lickey Hills Country Park. But at that time I didn't know which way to walk to Beacon Hill. I did go around some of the roads near the Lickey's in Cofton Hackett but ended up going to Cofton Park instead (I ended up returning and trying again for Beacon Hill two weeks later).

The walk down the Lickey Road past Cofton Park. Lowhill Lane is to the left.

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At the time I was aiming to get to the Lickey Hills Country Park and not thinking about ending up in Cofton Park.

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The entrance to Cofton Park Nursery from Lickey Road. At the time they had a Summer Plant Sale. And this was in April 2013.

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I was on the other side of the road to Cofton Park, but you can see it lines down Lickey Road.

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A closed gate from the Lickey Road.

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One last look down the Lickey Road past Cofton Park, before I got close to the Lickey Hills.

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After going up a bit of Rose Hill and part way up Barnt Green Road and back, I next headed up Groveley Lane past Cofton Park.

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The entrance to Cofton Park from Groveley Lane which I took to go into the park.

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I headed up the path from Groveley Lane in Cofton Hackett.

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Apart from the main path, the park is mostly open fields with trees.

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At the top of the hill from the path is a view of the trees at the Lickey Hills.

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Panoramic of the Lickey Hills view.

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The panoramic was stitched together using photos such as the one below.

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The view towards MG Motor.

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MG Motor had both British and Chinese flags outside.

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Zoom in to the Lickey Hills. At this point I was wondering how I would get up there.

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View of houses in Cofton Hackett village below. Including the Rednal Social Club on Barnt Green Road.

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Another view of the MG Motor factory. Parts were made in China and assembled here. Sadly I've heard recently that this has been demolished and MG cars will no longer be made in Birmingham. The previous MG Rover factory at Longbridge went bust in 2005, and in the years since it was all demolished and replaced by a new Town Centre with shops, a retirement village and houses.

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By the looks of it, I mainly stuck to the path at the time. One bench to the left.

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Another panoramic towards the Lickey Hills. I wouldn't walk that section until I got the train to Barnt Green years later.

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Getting close to the end of the path. One bench on the right. The path leads to Lickey Road (but exits at Elliot Gardens - and no it was not named after me!).

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Before I left, saw this dog sign for dog walkers to pick up their dog's mess.

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2016

In the years since, I've only really walked past Cofton Park and not gone back in. Such as in late January 2016 when I walked past the MG Motor factory (on left) and Cofton Park (on the right) while on Lowhill Lane, on a walk around Longbridge.

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There was a lot of bright sunshine behind these trees from Lowhill Lane.

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A road with bollards from Lowhill Lane while the sun shined brightly.

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I didn't really think about going into the park at the time. Just to walk around Longbridge and end up back at Longbridge Station.

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One of the Cofton Park signs from Birmingham City Council's Department of Recreation and Community Services.

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The sign that says "This gate closes at dusk".

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This is the entrance to the Lowhill Lane Car Park. There is also the Cofton Park Pavilion, although I've not seen it myself .

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2019

Another Longbridge walk up Lowhill Lane during February 2019. As before walked down Lickey Road, then up Lowhill Lane past the park, before making my way back to Longbridge Lane. Again didn't go into the park at the time.

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The Lowhill Lane Car Park entrance as a car drove down the road. There is a ramp ahead that cars have to go over.

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I also spotted these football goalposts.

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It would be nice to one day go back to this park and walk over the grass, as long as it isn't too wet from the recent rain we have been having.

 

Another park in Longbridge to check out is the new Austin Park at the new Longbridge Town Centre. Post coming soon. Check the project for the photo gallery.

 

For my related Lickey Hills Country Park posts go to:

 

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

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