This hidden parkland with walking paths is between Hall Green and Yardley Wood. Named after JRR Tolkien's The Shire from The Hobbit. The route takes you past Sarehole Mill. Then eventually through The Dingles and Trittiford Mill Pool. You don't have to do it all in one go. Even good for winter walks. Plenty of wildlife around too!

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The Shire Country Park from the Stratford Road to Scribers Lane in Hall Green / Yardley Wood


The Shire Country Park from the Stratford Road to Scribers Lane in Hall Green / Yardley Wood


This hidden parkland with walking paths is between Hall Green and Yardley Wood. Named after JRR Tolkien's The Shire from The Hobbit. The route takes you past Sarehole Mill. Then eventually through The Dingles and Trittiford Mill Pool. You don't have to do it all in one go. Even good for winter walks. Plenty of wildlife around too!


Greet Mill Meadows

The River Cole with it's waterfall seen in the Greet Mill Meadows section of the Shire Country Park during April 2009. Seen from the road bridge. This is on the no 6 bus route, also the no 1 and now 1A passes over this part of the Stratford Road. The Millstream Way heads along the River Cole towards Sarehole Mill.

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The flooded ford of the River Cole that crosses Green Road in Hall Green. Seen during March 2018. There is a footbridge for pedestrians. Cars though have to drive through the river. When flooded, they sometimes get stuck here! This is between the Greet Mill Meadows and the Sarehole Mill Recreation Ground.

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Sarehole Mill Recreation Ground

This view of the Sarehole Mill Recreation Ground during March 2018 with new gravel footpath. The path leads towards Green Road and the flooded ford. The other direction leads to Sarehole Mill and Cole Bank Road (on the 11A / 11C and no 5 bus routes). On the Moseley / Hall Green border.

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John Morris Jones Walkway

Seen during January 2011 from the Brook Lane end, this path leads towards the Cole Bank Road in Hall Green. That winter I found the path too muddy, so I didn't walk all the way. Usually better along here during the spring and summer months. It follows the path of the River Cole.

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The Dingles

This section of the Shire Country Park goes from Brook Lane towards Highfield Road on the Hall Green / Yardley Wood border. Seen here during a sunny March 2012. The River Cole and the Chinn Brook both flow through this area. When you get to Highfield Road, you have a choice: either head through the Chinn Brook Recreation Ground, or go around the Trittiford Mill Pool.

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Trittiford Mill Pool

The perfect place for a Christmas Day morning was was the Trittiford Mill Pool. Near Highfield Road and Priory Road in Yardley Wood. This was on the 25th December 2013. You can walk all the way around the lake, going past the River Cole. Many bird species to see. The usual gulls, swans, geese, ducks etc. The footpath was resurfaced in 2016. I even popped along when there was snow here during December 2017 (looked quite wintery).

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Scribers Lane

Beyond the Trittiford Mill Pool is Scribers Lane. This section seen during a walk in May 2016. Scribers Lane starts at the end of the Mill Pool, then heads towards Slade Lane alongside the River Cole. Beyond is more parkland that follows the Shakespeare line south of Yardley Wood Station, but I'm not sure if you can walk through the overgrowth, but it leads to Colebrook Road over in Solihull.

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Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

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