Sandwell is blossoming with green spaces – to spend either a lazy afternoon or packed with fun play equipment to entertain the children. With over 30 parks and gardens – we are one of the Black Country’s greenest areas – and if you add that to our fields, sport pitches and nature reserves, that comes to an incredible 539 green spaces for you to enjoy! There’s bound to be one right on your doorstep.
Eight of our parks have been awarded the prestigous Green Flag award from Keep Britain Tidy which is the national standard for parks and green spaces that are welcoming, safe and well-maintained with strong community involvement.
Find a park near you, get out and feel great.
Parks in Oldbury
Barnford Park
Barnford Park sits in the heart of Oldbury, a stone's throw from the town centre. With beautiful parkland offering gentle walks, a games area, children's play area, multi-use games area and community pavilion, there's something on offer for all ages to see and do.
Rowley Hills and Blue Rock Quarry
The Rowley Hills are the highest landform in the Black Country with views across the region and beyond. The face of Blue Rock Quarry on the Rowley Hills boasts rocks formed over 300 million years ago. Today they appear as unusual globes that weather and peel like onion skins.
Parks in Rowley Regis
Haden Hill Park
Haden Hill Park offers a range of things to see and do. Playgrounds, pools, a bowling green, great little walks, plenty of wildlife and green spaces plus access to a nature reserve, a Victorian mansion and a Tudor Hall - all next door to a leisure centre. What more could you ask for in a local park?
Mousesweet Brook Local Nature Reserve
Mousesweet Brook Local Nature Reserve is in Cradley Heath and has 4.3 hectares of mainly wet woodland, grassland, a pool and the Mousesweet Brook itself, which forms the boundary between Sandwell and Dudley. Footpaths and a boardwalk link the different habitats and a footbridge over the brook leads to the Saltwells Local Nature Reserve. The Reserve also has a small children’s play area. A variety of woodland and grassland flora can be seen, providing habitat for several species of butterfly during the summer.
Parks in Smethwick
Lightwoods Park
This scenic park - offers the perfect day out for all ages, with beautiful Shakespeare Gardens, a Grade II listed bandstand and Grade II listed house among its attractions. A new skate park - a first for Sandwell - and children's play area add to what's on offer.
Victoria Park, Smethwick
Just off Smethwick High Street, and next to Cape Hill, Victoria Park has something that will appeal to all age groups, including children's play areas, a tennis court, cycle routes, cricket square and bandstand. You'll find all the ingredients here for a super day at this Green Flag award winning park.
Warley Woods
Smethwick's 100-acre park, with its mix of open meadow and nine-hole golf course, has some of the region's most beautiful woodland, offering nature walks, trails and free parking.
West Smethwick Park has recently undergone a £5.1 million restoration and improvement project. The project included the construction of a new pavilion, a boathouse, and an upgraded multi-use games area that includes tennis courts. Alongisde, a new events area has been created outside the West Smethwick Park Pavilion, along with the installation of outdoor gym equipment.
Parks in Tipton
Sheepwash Local Nature Reserve
Sheepwash Local Nature Reserve is 39 hectares of young woodland, grassland, pools, streams and the River Tame linking the various habitats. Several pools, including a balancing lake for the River Tame support waders and wildfowl. Maturing woodland, grassland, pools and marshes provide habitat for a variety of small mammals and amphibians. Locally rare plants such as snakeshead fritillary, cowslip and yellow bartsia have also been recorded.
Victoria Park, Tipton
Victoria Park has something for everyone - children's play areas, tennis courts, cricket square, walking routes and wildflower area to name just a few of its attractions. If you're looking for something to do or somewhere to go, then look no further than Victoria Park for a great time.
Parks in Wednesbury
Brunswick Park
Brunswick Park was opened in 1887 to celebrate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. The park offers a range of facilities including outdoor gym equipment, childrens play area, multi gamed area, tennis courts, skate park area, bandstand, football and circular walks.
Parks in West Bromwich
Dartmouth Park
Dartmouth Park is located between West Bromwich Town Centre and Sandwell Valley Country Park. There are plenty of activities for all visitors at this Grade II listed park including a fantastic play area, lakes for fishing, outstanding views across Sandwell Valley, floral displays, sensory garden and a new Pavilion.
Forge Mill Farm
Forge Mill Farm is now home to many animals, including rare breeds, and is well loved and visited by tens of thousands of families a year. The farm has recently been relaunched with lots of new farm animals – many of them rare breeds – to visit and learn about, an interactive education tour for children and adults to learn about animal welfare and where our food comes from, and more opportunities to get to know and love the animals. This includes a brand new accessible Forge Mill Farm Trail, expanding the size of the farm and visitor experience. Forge Mill Farm will continue to expand throughout 2022 and 2023 with plans for a Farm Activity Barn and Forge Mill Farm Cafe.
Forge Mill Lake Local Nature Reserve
Forge Mill Lake Local Nature Reserve is centred around a large lake alongside the River Tame and is located within Sandwell Valley Country Park. The lake is an excellent place to see a variety of wildfowl and other species. Lapwings, little ringed plovers (and in 2007 and 2008, oystercatchers) breed on the lake alongside moorhens, coots, mallards, mute swans, Canada geese and great crested grebes.
Gorse Farm Wood Local Nature Reserve
The 6.2 hectare site has a range of habitats including woodland, willow carr, grassland, pools and streams and a recently created area of young heathland. A number of pathways, including a boardwalk section, lead around the Reserve. The range of habitats on the reserve support a variety of plants and animals. Current breeding bird species include blackbird, robin, blue and great tits; sparrowhawk and great spotted woodpecker have also bred here.
Holly Wood Local Nature Reserve
Holly Wood Local Nature Reserve is in Great Barr, just off Queslett Road, the main pedestrian access being off Whitecrest. The 5.2 hectare site is mainly woodland, with a small area of wet grassland. A stream flows through the wood. A footpath runs through the Reserve, connecting the two main entrance points at Whitecrest and Queslett Road, and other paths lead off around the wood.
RSPB Sandwell Valley
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) site is based around part of Forge Mill Lake within Sandwell Valley Country Park.
The visitor centre sits in the heart of the nature reserve with views over forge mill lake; here you can pick up self-guided family activities, such as pond dipping nets or just pick up a map and a hot drink. There are paths and trails to follow and a lakeside viewpoint where you can enjoy the wetland wildlife.
Sandwell Valley Country Park
Whether your interests lie in walking, birdwatching, sports or just being in the great outdoors, you are sure to find something to do in Sandwell Valley Country Park.
Sot's Hole Local Nature Reserve
Sots Hole has over 5 hectares of some of the oldest woodland in Sandwell. The largely wet woodland supports a variety of tree species. A stream flows through the site and a small pool has recently been created. A surfaced path leads through the reserve, linking up with other paths leading into Sandwell Valley Country Park.