Fox Hollies Park from March to June 2020

Fox Hollies Park for me is the closest park in walking distance. Not that I always wanted to go there (due to shady characters). Popped in or nearby several times during the lockdown from March to June 2020. Usually on walks to or from Acocks Green. Recently local volunteers have gone around the park litter picking.

Fox Hollies Park

This is my second Fox Hollies Park post. Find my original post here: Fox Hollies Park through the years.

March 2020

At the beginning of the lockdown, I had a late March 2020 walk around Fox Hollies Park. There wasn't many people in the park. As usual entered at Shirley Road and walk around the path along the Westley Brook. Saw a Jet2 plane taking off. Was starting to get rare to see passenger planes in the sky.

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A look at the Westley Brook and the tree branches.

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Taking a slightly different route through the trees along this dirt path.

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More parts of the Westley Brook.

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Trees leaning over the Westley Brook.

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Trees without leaves on the path to the pond.

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The Round Pool.

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Danger No Swimming or Paddling. Duck on the left.

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Metal footbridge on the right hand side of the Round Pool.

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Pair of Canada geese.

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Another duck.

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April 2020

An afternoon walk around Acocks Green, and we briefly popped into Fox Hollies Park from Pool Farm Road near Fanshawe Road. It was a sunny afternoon and more people about.

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Walked towards the Gospel Lane exit. Blue sky and leaves growing back on the trees. At the time you were not allowed in the play area, yet some men were inside playing with a remote controlled car!

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Saw this structure from Gospel Lane. Probably somewhere for teenagers to hang about. After this continued my walk around Acocks Green and back into Hall Green.

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June 2020

Early June 2020, and I went down Shirley Road to take something to the Post Office. Took this photo on my smartphone camera of the grass cut in stripes for social distancing.

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Late June 2020, and walking back up Shirley Road after an evening walk down to Acocks Green Village.

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The main entrance to Fox Hollies Park from Shirley Road through this new gateway.

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The grass still cut at different levels for social distancing.

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Long grass in a look towards the Shirley Road Play Area (which was still closed at the time).

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For another nearby park in the area, check out my post on Langley Hall Park. It's just down Gospel Lane from Fox Hollies Park. And can be entered via Swanswell Road. It's just over the Birmingham / Solihull border in Olton / Kineton Green.

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown. Thanks for all the followers.

Fox Hollies Park through the years along the Westley Brook

Fox Hollies Park is located on the Shirley Road between Acocks Green and Hall Green, and stretches as far as Gospel Lane. This park is quite small and has the Westley Brook flowing through it. Playgrounds at both ends and a small lake as well. To the west end is close to Fox Hollies Leisure Centre (but is not part of the park). Paths for walks, that can also be enjoyed by dog walkers too.

Fox Hollies Park

This park is located on the Shirley Road in Acocks Green, close to Hall Green. It stretches along the Westley Brook towards Gospel Lane, which isn't too far from Gospel Oak and Olton in Solihull on the Warwick Road. Other nearby roads surrounding the park include Pool Farm Road, Oakhurst Road and Severne Road. There is two playgrounds, one close to the Shirley Road entrance, the other near Gospel Lane. There is also a small lake / pond where you will find many of the usual bird species to be found in a park like this.

Most of the time I hardly see many people walking around this park. Maybe the odd person walking a dog. Assume that cyclists may pass through here. Or occasionally families using the playground in decent weather. Then again I've only been through it in the winter.

2010

These views of Fox Hollies Park from Shirley Road during December 2010. A snowy walk up Shirley Road and a look at the park. I did not enter the park at this time.

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The playground covered in snow. Three people on a morning jog through the snow covered park.

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Another view of the playground.

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The old Birmingham City Council - Fox Hollies Park sign. It was already looking dirty when it was covered in snow.

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Entrance to the park from Shirley Road. These old railings survived until at least 2017 or 2018 when they were replaced by the Council all the way around the park.

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This from close to the entrance of Fox Hollies Leisure Centre. Apparently the Yardley Constituency Office is also there. The office for the Birmingham Yardley MP is now on Yardley Road in Acocks Green (Jess Phillips MP from 2015 to present). John Hemming used be the MP from 2005 to 2015.

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View of the park from the opposite side of the Shirley Road. A Council advert about visiting Santa in his Grotto.

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The furthest end of the park to the right on Shirley Road.

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2017

I didn't really do an actual walk through Fox Hollies Park until January 2017. Getting in on the Shirley Road I walked as far as the Gospel Lane exit. Leaves on the lawn looking like it was still autumn.

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Passing the empty playground which is close to the Shirley Road entrance.

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The path curving around to the left.

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Straight ahead on the path. This more or less is close to Oakhurst Road (which is to the right of here on the other side of the trees and houses).

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Path up to the trees.

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Distant houses probably on Pool Farm Road.

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Two paths in two different directions.

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The path up to Gospel Lane. The second playground is to the far right of here.

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A look at the pond / lake. Bit hard to get decent views of it, trees in the way.

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2018

Another walk round Fox Hollies Park, this time during December 2018. Slightly different route this time. And the Council was installing new wooden railings and bollards throughout the park. This footbridge crossing the Westley Brook.

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The Wesley Brook from one side.

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And from the other side.

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One of the new Welcome to Fox Hollies Park wooden sign and entrance with metal bars. This was on Pool Farm Road.

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I wasn't quite finished with Fox Hollies Park, so I walked up to the second entrance on Pool Farm Road. Still had the old Council sign on the right.

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A close up look at the slide in the playground close to Gospel Lane.

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Back of the new exit / entrance to Gospel Lane.

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And the front side with Welcome to Fox Hollies Park. As you can see it's near the playground at the Gospel Lane end. From here you can catch the no 4A bus to Birmingham.

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2019

On Christmas Eve Eve in December 2019, I was walking up Shirley Road and remembered that they were installing the new railings here the year before. Seem to recall hoping over the old railings, but they hadn't finished the new ones. A year on and it is complete.

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As well as the new Welcome to Fox Hollies Park wooden entrance sign, the Council has also installed a new sign on the left.

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The new railings are slightly higher than the old ones, tries to make the park look nice and modern.

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Hopefully other City parks will get new railings like these. But it would be nice for more people to use Fox Hollies Park. It's just a quiet out of the way park, that other than locals, people wouldn't really be aware of.

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Merry Christmas 2019 and a Happy New Year 2020. Oh and Happy Hanukkah (will all be over when this gets published). More park posts to come in 2020. Look out for Witton Lakes Park, Brookvale Park and the Oaklands Recreation Ground.

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown.