Walking in cities: Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham

I was near the centre of Birmingham and needed somewhere to walk

I looked on my map.

Cannon Hill Park seemed to fit the bill - a fair amount of green space.

I once did a fun run there in the rain, and I'd never been back until today. And look what I've been missing!

The park opened in 1873, following the donation of the land by Miss Louisa Ryland, who hoped the park would "prove a source of healthful recreation to the people of Birmingham"

The park's designer, TJ Gibson, also landscaped Battersea Park in London.

The Autumn colours made for a beautiful sight, and there's more yet to come.

I loved the variety of trees, and the mix of formal and informal

Unusually for me, I didn't try the cafe...

...though lots of other people were trying it!

I walked round the perimeter of the park,...

...through some woodland

...which turns into the Centenary Woodland (celebrating the centenaries of the RSPB and the City of Birmingham)

Massive poplars against the blue sky

I walked all the way to Pebble Mill Fields, but didn't have time to investigate there.

This path runs next to the River Rea,...

...which runs 15 miles from Waseley to the River Tame. You can walk along much of it, but I couldn't work out how to get to the path - this gate was locked .A task for another time)

So I continued through the park

Pedaloes to hire - but closed today

This is the MAC (Midlands Arts Centre)

Some of the formal planting, still very colourful

I caught sight of a War Memorial

It looks to me like an angel standing above some soldiers who are firing a cannon.

The inscription: to the glorious memory of the sons of Birmingham who fell in South Africa 1899-1902, and to perpetuate the example of all who served in the war, this memorial is erected by their fellow citizens.

Nearby, a huge pine tree

Some of the branches.

As I went back towards my car, I noticed the floodlights for Edgbaston Cricket Club, which was just over the road. The white is part of the stadium.

Well, I have to say this was a revelation. I walked for almost 3 miles through wonderful landscaping, and there was still plenty more - the Nature Centre, Pebble Mill Park, the River Rea. It's amazing how much green space can be found. Other walks I could have done nearby would be the Worcester and Birmingham Canal and Wasthill Tunnel, as well as Selly Park, Highbury Park, and Moseley Bog Nature Reserve, said to have been the inspiration for the JRR Tolkien's "The Hobbit"
In the words of Mr Shwarzenegger "I'll be back".