Chinn Brook Nature Reserve
- Address
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off Yardley Wood Road, Birmingham. B14 4BX
- How to get there and parking
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Bus stops on Yardley Wood Road by Chinn Brook House and by Pendeen Road. Access from Yardley Wood Road, Haunch Lane, or Warstock Lane also from the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal towpath.
- About the park
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Once part of a larger area known as Happy Valley, Chinn Brook Nature Reserve is a place that definitely makes you smile. The 17-acre site supports a range of different habitats, including hedgerows, grassland, scrub, tall herb, brooks, standing water and woodland. Naturally, it is also a magnet for wildlife including birds of all type and species. In 2007, it was designated a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) due to its ecological landscape. It also links up with important waterways in the area including the Stratford-upon-Avon canal as well as the Chinn Brook and its tributary the Haunch Brook.
The site has a long history but not always had a nature reserve. In the 1900s it formed part of the area known as “Happy Valley” which was a popular picnic spot at weekends and on Bank Holidays. Since then parts of it have been used as allotments and during World War Two the ground was used to grow corn. It went on to form part of a golf club and even a BMX track was created in the area. In 2010, the disused track was levelled and a series of species rich wildflower meadows were planted as well as fencing, footpaths and seating added creating the nature reserve that exists today.
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- Video introduction
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- Facilities at the park
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Seating
- Toilets
- There are no toilets on site
- Points of interest
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- Stratford-upon-Avon Canal
- Chinn Brook and Haunch Brook
- Other features
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- Abundance of wildlife to spot
- Tree-lined paths
- Walking routes with accessible paths
- Wildflower meadows
