Brueton Park – A Review

In our first review of local dog walking locations this article looks at Brueton Park, more formally known as Malvern and Brueton Park as the park is actually two parks in one. The park was historically two separate pieces of land that were joined together to form what is today Malvern and Brueton Park.

Today we have the more formal end of the park near Solihull town centre, In the Malvern side of the park you will find floral arrangements, tree lined paths, a children’s playground and tennis courts. In contrast Brueton at the other end of the park focuses more on wildlife, with a nature reserve, a small lake and the river Blythe running through it. The image at the top of this article shows the river at the Brueton end of the park.

BRUETON PARK – LOCATION & PARKING

Brueton Park is located within walking distance of Solihull town centre to the south east. There are actually 3 car parks with free parking for several hours. The Brueton end of the park has the largest car park and there should always be spaces available (unless it is a Saturday morning when Parkrun is in town). The ticket machines in the car park indicate that parking is free for up to 3 hours. The Malvern end also provides parking however this end can get rather busy at peak times as it is close to the playground and town centre. Finally, if you wish to access the fields towards the back of the park there is a small free car park located next to Solihull Sixth form which provides a few spaces for easier access to the nature reserve.

The following map which is available on Foursquare shows the basic layout of Malvern and Brueton Park with the 3 car parks clearly marked.

BRUETON PARK – WHAT TO EXPECT

Brueton and Malvern is a park of variety. It is a long and narrow park with lots of hidden areas which makes it perfect for dog walking thanks to the variety of areas for dogs to explore. When you first enter from the Brueton Car park on your left is a small lake full of ducklings, if you follow this round to the left you will come across the river Blythe that flows through the park. It is more of a stream at this section of the river and there are several easy access parts to the river which make it perfect on a summers day if you have a dog that likes to have a paddle in the water. Following this river round leads into a little wooded area which helps provide the shade in the summer and also opens up into the entrance of the nature reserve.

The nature reserve is a specially built reserve to help promote wildlife in the area. The path is a raised wooden path that rises above the vegetation. If you follow this to the far side you will eventually get to the more hidden areas of the park. Here you will find several fields with well-trodden paths that is perfect for dog walking in a quieter environment away from the majority of other dog walkers. There are several little wooded areas here too, again great for that much needed shade in the summer. The raised wooden path can sometimes be a little too overgrown at times which can make accessing the fields at the back tricky, so one little tip is to park in the car park by the college for easy access, after all, no-one really wants to fight through the vegetation just to get to the fields.

FACILITIES

Brueton Park has plenty of facilities that you would expect of any decent park such as:

–        Brueton Tree Trail

–        Free Car Parking

–        Local Nature Reserve

–        Mature Woodland

–        Parkrun – Every Saturday morning

–        Café with toilet facilities

–        Lake and the River Blythe

–        Tennis Courts

–        Walking Trails

–        Adventure Play Area

SUMMARY

I personally feel that Brueton Park is the best park in the Solihull area. It has a great mix of facilities and a good variety of areas to keep your walk interesting. It is large enough to provide a long walk and with the benefit of free parking and a central location this park has everything you would hope for. The park is well maintained, clean with plenty of dog bins at hand. A good choice for any dog lover.