Went for a morning walk at the end of June 2020 around the Waseley Hills Country Park. It was quite windy that day. The country park is near Rubery in the Bromsgrove District of Worcestershire. And over the border from New Frankley in Birmingham. You would find the source of the River Rea here. Also it is possible to see views of Birmingham and Worcestershire from here.

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The Waseley Hills Country Park and the Source of the River Rea


The Waseley Hills Country Park and the Source of the River Rea


Went for a morning walk at the end of June 2020 around the Waseley Hills Country Park. It was quite windy that day. The country park is near Rubery in the Bromsgrove District of Worcestershire. And over the border from New Frankley in Birmingham. You would find the source of the River Rea here. Also it is possible to see views of Birmingham and Worcestershire from here.


Waseley Hills Country Park

The Waseley Hills Country Park is located close to Rubery in the Bromsgrove District of Worcestershire. The M5 motorway is not too far away from the country park to the west. The main entrance to the North Car Park is from Gannow Green Lane. Which can be reached in a car if you drive up from New Frankley in Birmingham. The park has a Visitor Centre, and public toilets (which is near to the North Car Park).  Also offices and a meeting room. A playground was also nearby.

There is two main hills, Windmill Hill and Waseley Hill. The views here are stunning. You would also be able to find the Source of the River Rea (it is signposted).

We visited on the 29th June 2020, and I noticed that the Visitor Centre was open. Or rather they were selling takeaway coffee and ice cream over a table. This was probably the Windmill Cafe. For the car park, you can pay £2 for up to 2 hours, or £2.50 for all day. An annual pass will cost you £35. Blue badge holders are free.

The name Waseley comes from the Anglo Saxon word 'waer' meaning sheep and 'ley' meaning field. Hence waer-ley or sheep field. This shows that the site has been grazed for hundreds of years. On my visit, one of the fields had cattle grazing and you had to close the gate behind you when entering it.

Waseley Hills Country Park Visitor Centre

As seen from the North Car Park was the Visitor Centre. It was only open for takeaway coffee and ice cream, which could be had at the picnic benches to the right. I would think that the Windmill Cafe was in here. The website describes it as an ancient barn.

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Side view of the Visitor Centre coming back from our walk around the hills.  Was some more picnic tables to the right.

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To the left of the Visitor Centre was these Offices and Meeting Rooms. Plus another picnic table outside.

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The public toilets for the gents (right) and ladies (left) seemed to be open.

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It had street art by famous Birmingham graffiti artist Newso. There was also a point here for dog owners to fill up a bowl of water for their dog to drink out of.

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Source of the River Rea

If you are wondering where the River Rea starts on it's journey into Birmingham, it starts here at the Waseley Hills!

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This sign explains it all. The River Rea starts from the source and flows for some 15 miles north east until it joins the River Tame near Spaghetti Junction.

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Only a trickle of water at this point, but over 20 miles from here there used to mills all along the Rea Valley. Many used to grind corn and the earliest dated to the 13th century.

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In the English Civil War, the mills along the Rea were used to make sword blades for the Parliamentary army.

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The same mills in the 19th century provided water power for the expansion of Birmingham's metal working industry during the Industrial Revolution. Sadly none of these mills survive today. Many were demolished in the late 19th or early 20th century.

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Windmill Hill and Waseley Hill

These hills can be easily confused so I will combine them both in this section.

First up a look up Windmill Hill towards the electricity pylon.

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After ending the gate on Windmill Hill, a look up to where the cows were grazing at the top of the hill.

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After seeing the Source of the River Rea went to the top of Windmill Hill for the views of the Birmingham skyline. It was very windy up here.

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This was the view from the Waseley Hills towards Birmingham. Old Joe was visible (at the University of Birmingham). But the rest of the skyline would be more visible on zooming in. The City Centre was to the far left of this view.

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There was also views towards Rubery. Including the tower blocks. They were Dowry House, Hillside House and Quarry House. A view from Beacon Hill I saw years ago that I thought was the Waseley Hills was in face the Rubery Hill Public Open Space on Cock Hill Lane.

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After getting the views of Birmingham, was time to head back down the hill. This was on the Skylark Trail.

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Back out to the part of Windmill Hill close to the car park and Visitor Centre. Next up to go to the other part of Windmill Hill.

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On the next part of Windmill Hill, you could go around a path in a circle, and go under a line of electricity pylons.

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I saw this TV antenna or mobile phone mast from Windmill Hill in the distance.

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A short time later checking out Waseley Hill and the stunning views of Worcestershire. Getting quite windy up here.

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There was an even better view of the electricity pylons going into Worcestershire in the distance. Some many trees here!

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The main path if you wanted to walk further onto Waseley Hill. You might see rabbit holes around here or gorse. Although I didn't spot any rabbits or gorse growing at the time of my visit.

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There was more of the Waseley Hills Country Park to walk from here, for instance as far as the South Car Park.

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But we turned back from here and walked back to the North Car Park. It was just too windy. But saw enough.

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Heading back past Windmill Hill and saw this line of electricity pylons heading into the distance in Worcestershire. It was quite cloudy and misty that day.

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Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

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