Hazelwell Park: a small park near the River Rea Valley Route

This park you are most likely to be walking along the River Rea in Stirchley than actually going around the park. In the past I've got onto the path from either Fordhouse Lane or Hazelwell Fordrough and walked towards either Cartland Road, or crossed the footbridge over the River Rea towards Hazelwell Lane (near the ex Tesco now Seven Capital land). Path good for walks / cycling etc.

As I continue to go through the Birmingham parks I've passed through on many walks in the past. This time we take a look at Hazelwell Park in Stirchley. If you get off the 11A or 11C buses on Fordhouse Lane, head up the path alongside the River Rea. Then head right onto Hazelwell Road, then up the next path. The park will be straight ahead. By this point, the river would now be on the left.

You could also get off the 11A or 11C buses at the bottom of Vicarage Road, then walk down Hazelwell Fordrough, and enter the path towards the park. The path is right at the bottom of the hill, just head right.

I wouldn't spend long in the park, as I see the footbridge over the River Rea, this would continue my walk into Stirchley around what was the unbuilt Tesco land, now owned by Seven Capital (and still awaiting development). The footbridge exits you onto Ripple Road and Hunts Road, with Hazelwell Lane straight ahead (but that is now blocked off by Seven Capital hoardings). So you have to take one of the many side roads to get to the Pershore Road or Hazelwell Street (A441).

The final exit from the park is on Cartland Road that I've used. I've not really been around the field in Hazelwell Park, but there are entrances / exits on Edwin Road and from Newlands Road.

January 2011

Some of my earliest photos of the River Rea in Stichley, I took from the bridge on Fordhouse Lane in Stirchley. This is near the path that leads to Hazelwell Park. At the time was one my first photo walks around Stirchley, including checking out the Worcester & Birmingham Canal from the Pershore Road for the first time on my then camera. The burnt out ruins of a former pub called The Lifford Curve were to the right of here. A few years later the rubble was removed and it is now Thrifty Car and Van Rental Stirchley. The pub had been on fire sometime before 2011, but the pub had been To Let since 2008. Demolished in 2012, Thrifty didn't open until about 2016.

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The path towards Hazelwell Road is to the left of the River Rea. The derelict land on the left, has recently had housing built on it, after being unused for such a long time. That is called The Hazelwells (from Taylor Wimpey).

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Looks like at least one of the trees at the time had been cut down, or came down in a storm. It would several years before I ended up walking up that path from Fordhouse Lane towards Hazelwell Road.

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June 2013

In the summer of 2013, heading along the path on the Rea Valley Route. On Hazelwell Road walking towards the bridge that crosses the River Rea. I had probably walked down from the Pershore Road if I was at this point, and may not have come from the path from Fordhouse Lane.

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This path is part of the National Cycle Network route 5. The grass on both sides was left to grow wild, apart from the grass that was mown. This is the path towards Fordhouse Lane.

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The bridge on Hazelwell Road that leads to the Hazelwell Trading Estate, as well as a path into Hazelwell Park.

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One of the sides of the bridge, with a look at the River Rea.

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Passing the graffiti wall near the Stirchley Trading Estate. This is the path that started from Hazelwell Road. On the right is the path towards Hazelwell Fordrough.

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A look at the field in Hazelwell Park. In the distance are some goalposts. There is a path on the right that keeps you off the grass, but I have still yet to walk around there. Instead I crossed the bridge over the River Rea.

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First time crossing the bridge over the River Rea. At this point the land for development beyond was still owned by Tesco, and you could walk up Hazelwell Lane towards the Pershore Road (but that is not possible now, at least until Seven Capital does something with the land).

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A look at the River Rea, looking lush and green in the summer.

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Welcome to Hazelwell Park. This sign was opposite the footbridge if you entered the park from this way in. The graffiti on here has been cleaned off, but I suspect that the vandals keep tagging it from time to time.

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December 2015

Heading down Hazelwell Lane near the end of 2015, towards the footbridge that crosses the River Rea. Hunts Road to the right and Ripple Road was to the left. I probably got onto Hazelwell Lane from the Pershore Road, but this road is now blocked off by Seven Capital hoardings (was open when Tesco owned the land). From here, you can see that Welcome to Hazelwell Park sign on the other side of the bridge.

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A close up look at the footbridge into Hazelwell Park. This particular walk took be towards Fordhouse Lane via the Rea Valley Route. So exited the park before I was in it for too long this time around.

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After passing the graffiti wall again on the path towards Hazelwell Road, a look at the bridge near the Hazelwell Trading Estate, as a man was seen crossing the bridge on a bike. I would next get onto the path towards Fordhouse Lane again.

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Near the end of the path to Fordhouse Lane on the Rea Valley Route. An NXWM bus on the 11A Outer Circle just passed me. I would have to wait for the next 11A. I usually use the bus stop close to the Pershore Road on Fordhouse Lane, or I may have walked to the left up to the next bus stop. The path continues beyond here on the other side of the road towards the Worcester & Birmingham Canal.

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January 2016

Another visit during the Winter of 2016. This time looking closely at the playground. The Hazelwell Park Play Area. You can see the houses on Newlands Road from here.

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A big slide and a little slide.

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A rainbow sign for the Hazelwell Park Play Area.

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There is these stones that kids can climb up on, using the netted rope.

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Like all Birmingham parks, Hazelwell Park has the yellow elephant sign for the Welcome to Hazelwell Park Play Area. No dogs are allowed in this area though.

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Yellow swings to the left. Path in the background to the left, leads to Newlands Road.

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This time heading towards Cartland Road. A noticeboard for the Friends of Hazelwell Park. Looks a bit damaged, I hope that in the 4 years that have passed, that they have repaired it, and made it more safe.

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The path in Hazelwell Park that runs towards Cartland Road. The River Rea is on the left.

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June 2016

The path from the Fordhouse Lane looking lush and green in the summer of 2016. This was from one of my many walks around Stirchley over the years. Probably got off the 11C bus on Fordhouse Lane, then walked towards Hazelwell Street, where I then waited for a 45 or 47 bus to town. Tesco had some old buildings knocked down for a potential petrol station that never got built (this was before they sold the land to Seven Capital).

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I will do posts on Witton Lakes Park, Brookvale Park and Hillfield Park as soon as the projects are set up for me. Until then I will continue the backlog of parks that I have already been given access to.

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

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Birmingham We Are People with Passion award winner 2020