Get Out and About
Autumn is a lovely time of year to be outdoors enjoying the beautiful colours of the changing landscape and discovering new places. There’s no excuse for staying at home when there is so much to explore nearby and to help you plan, we’ve compiled a list of lots of great places to visit or things to do to encourage you to get out and about!
Go for a walk
Did you know there is a walk that covers over 21 miles of public footpaths connecting the urban and rural hearts of the borough that is called the Green Man Trail? The Green Man lives deep within Solihull folklore, customs, myths and legends and along the route are many examples of the Green Man just waiting to be discovered! If you want to venture further afield you could try The Heart of England Way which runs a whopping 100 miles through the green heart of England linking Staffordshire and the Cotswolds and passing through Balsall Common. While in Balsall Common you could take advantage of the recently-opened walking trail at Frog Lane and keep a look out for brass rubbing and Horace the Hedgehog!
Visit one of our Green Flag parks
The borough of Solihull is home to over 1,500 acres of parks and open spaces and this year received a 17th ‘Green Flag’ for Hope Coppice. This lovely 5-acre park was recognised with the award which is the international quality mark for parks and green spaces. It joins 16 other award winners in Shirley, Dorridge, Elmdon, Meriden, Marston Green and Solihull Town Centre to name but a few!
Give orienteering a go
Orienteering is a great activity to do alone or as part of a group with friends and family. Octavian Droobers, the local orienteering club for Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull have helped to design two permanent orienteering courses which are located in Babbs Mill and Elmdon Park. Walk or run around the course using a map to navigate the trail, a bit like a treasure hunt. Test yourself across short, medium and long routes on each course and see how quickly you can complete them.
Click the links to download the Elmdon Nature Park and Babbs Mill Nature Reserve map.
If you’re new to orienteering, you can find more information about the sport on the Solihull on the Move and Octavian Droobers webpage.
Have an adventure
At the heart of Chelmsley Wood, Meriden Park offers residents a great mixed use Green Flag Park and Local Nature Reserve throughout the year. You can spend an entire day at Meriden Park – as well as the expected swings and roundabouts, you can also take advantage of a football pitch, a skate park, tennis courts and a superb, supervised adventure playground. Linking with Babbs Mill Park and Cole Bank Park, part of Kingfisher Country Park, Meriden Park is a fantastic place for an autumnal day out.
Get up close and personal with nature
Parkridge Visitor Centre in the heart of Brueton Park is a great place to stop and pick up maps of the walking trails and information about the wildlife before heading into the Nature Reserve. The Parkridge Nature Reserve is a tranquil oasis on the edge of Solihull Town Centre. The reserve boasts a whole variety of popular British and migratory birds including nesting blue tits, woodpeckers, long-tailed tits and nuthatches. The historic grounds are home to giant redwoods, iron wood trees, black walnut, handkerchief trees, maples and some fine mature oaks.
Channel your inner horticulturist
Whether you are a fan of gardening or just prefer to admire other people’ skills, Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens are definitely worth a visit. Open weekly from Wednesday to Sunday 10:30 am – 4:30 pm, the 10 acres of 18th Century formal gardens and further 30 acres of local nature reserve parkland offer plenty of flora and fauna to marvel at. Be sure to visit their website to check out the full calendar of autumn events.
Get physical
Walk, jog, run, volunteer (or just spectate) at a ParkRun. ParkRun is a free, community event that takes place every Saturday morning across the country (and across the world) at 9am and all courses are 5km. There are two in Solihull Brueton ParkRun and Babbs Mill ParkRun. In addition, Junior ParkRun takes place every Sunday morning and is a 2km course for 4 – 14-year-olds and their families. Malvern Junior ParkRun happens in Solihull every Sunday.
Another activity to encourage movement that’s new to Solihull is Street Tag. Like ParkRun, Street Tag is a free activity. It’s a fun, family-friendly app that enables players to collect points by using their smartphones to scan virtual tags. The tags can be found in various locations across the borough including parks and open spaces, libraries, community and leisure centres and other areas of interest. Gain more points by being more active and then see where you or your team are on a leaderboard.
Make PING! Your thing
PING! Solihull table tennis is on a mission to bring ping pong to the people! Table tennis tables can be found in parks across Solihull and you can find one in a green space near you by visiting Ping! Solihull Table Tennis – Solihull On The Move To join in the fun, simply head for a table and start playing… it’s absolutely free!
Get on your bike!
Cycling is a great way to get out and about for both leisure and travel purposes, as well as being great for physical health and mental health and wellbeing. It’s also a great method of socialising with family and friends. The Solihull on the Move cycling webpage includes information on available cycling opportunities, including beginner cycling activities, cycling groups & clubs, volunteering and local cycling routes and maps.
There’s lots to explore and numerous places to get out and about this autumn, all that remains is to decide what to do first!
