Swanshurst Park

Address: Swanshurst Park, off Yardley Wood Road / Swanshurst Lane, Kings Heath Birmingham.

How to get there: Swanshurst Park sits on the border between Moseley and Billesley wards in south Birmingham approximately 4 miles from the city centre. It is well served by the bus network.

The park is a short detour along the B4146 from the Cole Valley Cycle Route at Sarehole Mill.

The park is bounded by the A4040 outer ring road and the B4146. There is a small car park off Yardley Wood Road and ample parking on the surrounding roads.

For Map and more info about Birmingham parks please visit: https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/directory_record/9165/swanshurst_park

About Swanshurst Park:

Swanshurst Park was established in 1922 by the City of Birmingham on former farm land. The park contains Moseley New Pool, created when an earth dam was built across the valley of a tiny brook in c.1759 by a Henry Giles. Its original purpose was as a fish pond. People can still fish in the pool but its main draw is the large number of wild birds that inhabit the water. There is also a very pleasant walk around its perimeter. 

The park used to contain a pitch & putt golf course, tea room as well as other sports facilities but these are now long gone. However, there remains a popular children’s playground next to the car park on the Yardley Wood Road side. It also attracts many dog walkers. The bulk of the park is now set over to woodland and natural grass land making it an important nature habitat.  A number of trails around the lesser known parts of the park are great for exploring minds. 

Facilities at the Park:

Children’s playground 

Basketball hoop 

Nature trails 

Fishing in the New Pool – fishers must abide by local authority rules around this activity 

Car park – height restrictions apply (closed overnight) 

Multiple benches across the park 

Litter and dog waste bins 

Points of Interest:

Moseley New Pool 

Waterfowl 

Large variety of trees, grassland areas and marshes 

The park plays host to a number of active wellbeing activities and sports groups 

Close vicinity to Sarehole Mill museum, Moseley Bog & Joy’s Wood, the Shire Country Park and JRR Tolkein’s former childhood home on Wake Green Road 

Other Features:

Accessible 

Child friendly 

Nature trails 

Dog friendly 

Formal walking routes 

Running 

Cycling 

Bird watching 

Biodiverse 

Woodland 

Grassland 

Marshland 

Lake 

Park Friends Group:

Friends of Swanshurst Park – https://bosf.org.uk/members/swanshurst-park-friends-of/ 

The Friends Group intends to: 

• Organise and support regular litter picking activity (to supplement the work undertaken by the Parks’ Department) and reduce littering behaviour in the park 
• Encourage physical activity and emotional wellbeing within our communities through local partnerships e.g. The Active Wellbeing Society 
• Work with local schools to nurture young minds and develop their appreciation of nature 
• Work with the Parks’ Manager, Park Rangers and other stakeholders to identify and reduce instances of anti-social behaviour 
• Understand and help protect the park’s habitat and wildlife 
• Investigate and exploit funding opportunities to support improvements to the park