Handsworth Park

Having been a resident of Handsworth for many years including spending much of my childhood here. I often have mixed feelings about the area. Sometimes dying to leave and sometimes marveling at the history, grand old buildings many in a dilapidated state and the” Hidden Gem” that is Handsworth Park.
I played there as a child and do my power walking there as an adult.
There was a period of time when its reputation went downhill. But now its back with the best!
Beautiful scenery and wildlife the boating lake is still there and families are enjoying this hidden gem.
Well worth a visit.

This is a much loved park simply because it is where I did most of my growing up, I have fond memories of watching a bunch of Jamaicans and Asians dressed in their impressive whites playing cricket on a hot Sunday afternoon. I’m pleased to report this still happens today on the beautifully maintain pitch. The whole park is very well looked after by a team of rangers and conservationists called The Handsworth Park Association, made up of mainly local residents. This group organise a range of activities designed to get visitors involved in the park as much as possible. Nature walks, for example, provide a fascinating insight into the history of how the gardens were designed with practical examples of flora and fauna. The area has one of the most ethnically diverse communities in Europe and this park benefits from the many cultures which use the park for the many religious celebrations and of course the Handsworth carnival, when the whole area celebrate as one.

This park is both beautiful and well admired, by people from all communities, who have such a wonderful park on the doorstep.
If you’ve not been here before, the number 16 bus calls right outside. What a pleasant place. Lots of greenery, a nice big lake with geese, a cute café at the back and boats if you fancy taking a row. (Why not take the kids to the small corner shop located just outside if you fancy feeding the geese).
This is a great day out for all the family. The summer weekends are filled with wedding congregations taking pictures, and there are a good variety of both music, cultural and religious festivals based here over the summer. You can visit the park anytime, it’s totally free, but my advice would be to take a walk during the Autumn. The pathways and filled with the most beautiful of colours, this is when the park is at it’s best.
The gardens are well looked after, and it’s ideal for a family day out. The kind of place you’ll want to visit again.

Handsworth park is big, maybe not as big as Perry park but it’s big. Even when they have the free Simmer Down Festival full of music and food it can feel like a bit of a needle in a haystack to find event hough you are following the sound of the music.
With the leisure centre, a lake with the cute boathouse café and bordering onto old Churches and manicured parts full of Victorian features it is a great park.
The expanse of land means that even when it’s busy you feel like you aren’t surrounded and crammed. The meandering pathways across the lawns can make you feel that getting lost is a possibility but everything is so relaxed you really don’t mind and know you’ll soon find your way out somehow.

Despite getting international recognition through the widespread acclaim of reggae band Steel Pulse’s album Handsworth Revolution in the late Seventies, much of the area can feel neglected, with investment going to other parts of the city.
I am happy to report that Handsworth Park bucks that trend. A large, lush park with rolling hills and a big lake, vast amounts of effort and money has gone into restoring it in recent years, making it into one of the best parks in Birmingham. I got to know it through the Simmer Down Festival, a free, day long, outdoor event celebrating the local area’s Caribbean heritage. I was not expecting to find such a beautiful park when I got there.
There’s a boathouse café with boats available for the sea worthy. There’s also a leisure centre situated within the grounds and a children’s play area so this is probably a good day out for families. Definitely recommended, and I hope this park eventually becomes as well known as it deserves to be.