Sheldon Country Park: A Green Escape on Birmingham's Doorstep

Most people driving along the A45 have no idea what's sitting just behind it. Sheldon Country Park is one of those places locals know about but rarely think to tell anyone — and that's a shame, because it's genuinely worth an afternoon.

The park covers just over 300 acres on the eastern edge of Birmingham, made up of open grassland, wetland, ancient hedgerows and mature woodland. It feels surprisingly rural the moment you step through the gate off Ragley Drive. It was formally established as a country park in 1986 and has been managed by Birmingham City Council ever since.

Two brooks run through the site — Westley Brook and Hatchford Brook — and if you walk along the banks you've got a reasonable chance of spotting herons or kingfishers. The habitats across the park support a wide range of wildlife year-round.

The main draw, especially for families, is Old Rectory Farm near the main entrance. The building dates back to the 17th century and was originally the rectory for the nearby St Giles Church, before being repurposed as a dairy farm. It's now been fully restored and operates as a demonstration farm, free to visit, showcasing traditional farming methods.

The farm is home to Jersey cattle, pigs, goats, ponies, ducks, chickens and geese. Dogs aren't allowed inside the farm enclosure, and the rangers ask that you don't feed the animals. It runs all year except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and seasonal activities are put on throughout the year by the park rangers.

The building itself carries some genuine historical weight. Its most notable resident was Thomas Bray, who became rector of St Giles Church in 1690. He went on to co-found both the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK, 1698) and the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (SPG, 1701). He also played a central role in establishing the Church of England in the Colony of Maryland — sailing there in 1699 and establishing thirty parishes and seventeen parish libraries before returning to England the following year.

Because Sheldon Country Park sits directly alongside Birmingham International Airport, there's a viewing point on-site where you can watch aircraft on final approach to the runway. It's accessible on foot only — no vehicles. It's a strange but oddly satisfying combination: standing in a meadow watching a 737 come in low overhead.

There are broad, relatively flat paths throughout the park — well-suited to pushchairs and wheelchairs — and a hard-surfaced nature trail accessible from the main car park. An approximately five-kilometre walking route runs through the site as part of the Solihull Way. Three marked football pitches, a children's playground near the main entrance, a community orchard and picnic areas round out the facilities. There's also a café on-site and toilets near the main entrance.