From Moor Green Lane into Holders Lane Woods

Did you know that you can get into some woods from Moor Green Lane in Selly Park and walk all the way into Cannon Hill Park? This is the Holders Lane Woods. Also here is the Holders Lane & Pebble Mill Fields, which runs alongside the River Rea. You can go for a pleasant walk around Holders Lane Woods. There is also an entrance on Holders Lane in Moseley itself.

Holders Lane Woods

I used to wonder how you would get into the back entrance of Cannon Hill Park. Before I figured it out, I used to walk down to the Russell Road entrance. But I later found a way in from Moor Green Lane in Selly Park. There is also an entrance into Holders Lane Woods from Holders Lane in Moseley. Either entrance are a good start for a walk into Cannon Hill Park, joining onto the Rea Valley Route. If you wanted to, you could walk all the way from Kings Heath Park, then into Highbury Park, then into Cannon Hill Park, but only if you went down Moor Green Lane.

Not far from the woods is the Holders Lane Playing Fields (Pebble Mill Playing Fields is on the other side of the River Rea and isn't very visible from the woods). There is a car park in the woods called Cannon Hill Park, Holders Lane South Carpark. But if the gate was closed (as it was during lockdown) you can park outside the woods on Holders Lane itself. The Moor Green Allotments is also quite close to the Holders Lane entrance.

You can find a Conservation Group on Twitter about the Holders Woods.

2018

My first walk into Holders Lane Woods was during April 2018. Getting in from Moor Green Lane in Selly Park. Days earlier I had walked the Rea Valley Route getting on from Second Avenue in Selly Park and crossing a footbridge over the River Rea. Later exiting at Holders Lane. A couple of days later I returned, but this time got in from Moor Green Lane and exited at Holders Lane.

From Moor Green Lane I went up Brockley Grove to the entrance of the woods just beyond that gate. A man running ahead of me. It is close to the Moor Green Lane Medical Centre.

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This sign welcomes you to the Holders Lane & Pebble Mill Fields. Dog owners are being told to keep their dog beheaved, pick up their mess etc.

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The path going straight ahead. The trees were a bit bare at this point.

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The path curving around the trees.

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Then you get to a sign saying Welcome to Cannon Hill Park & Holders Lane Woods.

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View of one of the Holders Lane Playing Fields. There is views of Old Joe from around here.

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Into the woods itself. Trees seem to have had surgery at the time. But would be in leaf within a month.

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Was a bit of a dirt path going through the woods here.

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The paths splitting in two directions.

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In the car park saw this Evergreen container.

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2019

Second walk through the woods in August 2019. This time walked all the way from Moor Green Lane and into Cannon Hill Park for the first time via a slightly different route to the year before.

In high summer the trees were lush and green.

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Heading past the same sign as before, go this way into Cannon Hill Park via Holders Lane Woods.

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Looks so different in here with all the leaves fully on the trees. Hard to believe that this is within Birmingham!

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The same woods that I passed before but the leaves were fully grown back.

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Heading up a leafy avenue of trees up this path.

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One of the small footbridges to cross over.

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You can tell that lower down branches have been cut off by tree surgeons in the past.

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There was a second footbridge to cross over. Looks suitable to ride your bike over it.

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Nearing the end of the woods.

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Last view of the woods before going onto the Rea Valley Route and into Cannon Hill Park.

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2020

The most recent walk around Holders Lane Woods was as the lockdown was eased during May 2020. Parking on Holders Lane and a walk around Cannon Hill Park. Later walking back via the Rea Valley Route, we had a walk around the woods, down a side path.

First up, a look at the empty Holders Lane Playing Fields as we walk towards Cannon Hill Park.

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The Council had cut the grass into strips for social distancing (for the 2 metre rule) in the Holders Lane Playing Fields.

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Could see a man in the distance trying it out.

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Later heading back into the woods after going up the Rea Valley Route.

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A lot of tree coverage above these paths.

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Saw some cow parsley growing along this dirt path.

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Another view of the Holders Lane Playing Fields with the field mown into stripes.

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Now heading into the woods proper.

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Somewhere to sit in the woods. But remember to keep your social distance!

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Was some bluebells growing in the long grass.

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It looks so peaceful in the woods here. As the sunlight comes through and the shadows all around.

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After going as far as Moor Green Lane / Brockley Grove we turned back. Another view of the Holders Lane Playing Fields. The Muirhead Tower at the University of Birmingham was visible from here.

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More trees looking lush and green as we headed back through the woods.

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You can take the main path, but there is side paths. And dog walkers are welcome. Although I've seen them off the leash in here!

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Before we left, I noticed this boggy water area. After this headed back to Holders Lane to end the walk and go home.

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Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

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