Route Developer: CW

[1] From Sarehole Mill car park, follow the track on the left across a small wooden bridge into Sarehole Mill recreation ground. Walk round the recreation ground to the left until you reach the exit onto Wake Green Road. Cross Wake Green Road into Thirlmere Drive. Walk past Comber Croft on your right and then take the next turn right into Pensby Close. Follow the Close round to the left and then take the right hand path into Moseley Bog (A).

[2] Climb 7 shallow steps and then turn left. After another 7 steps, keep straight on until you reach a clearing with Silver Birch trees on your right. Keep on to another clearing and take the left hand fork across the clearing towards a wooded area. Turn left on entering the wooded area. There is a high fence on your left hand side. Carry on, bearing left to a stile onto Yardley Wood Road.

[3] Turn left towards the roundabout and at the roundabout turn left into Swanshurst Lane. After a short distance, cross Swanshurst Lane and walk into Swanshurst Park.

(B) Like many parks, Swanshurst Park was used as common grazing land until the end of World War II. The final acres were given to the City as parkland and a 9-hole pitch and put were added in the 1950s. This was closed down in the 1990s and much of the site has returned to its more natural heathland condition, making it an important nature conservation habitat for this part of the city.
There are two large pools within the park, both very good sites for waterfowl with swans tending to winter there each year.

Walk towards Moseley New Pool, then, when you reach the path round the pool, turn left and walk along the edge and then along the straight path at the end of the pool.

[4] At the end of the straight path, turn left onto an unmade path and keep to the left round the edge of a clearing with a ditch on your left. Carry on past the first small plank bridge. When you come to a second wider plank bridge, cross over the ditch and then bear right, keeping the ditch on your right. After a short distance, the path bears to the left and leaves the ditch. Bear right off the main path to cross another plank bridge. Bear right through an opening in the fence and over another plank bridge. Follow the path with the bulrushes on your right.

[5] At the edge of the wooded area, bear left. You will see a fence and some housing on your left hand side. Continue along the path until you reach the junction with Brook Lane. This is a busy dual carriageway. Turn left and continue along Brook Lane. When you cross over Wake Green Road, you will see the only remaining prefabs in Birmingham. At the bottom of the hill turn left into Shire Country Park and go along a tarmac path beside the River Cole. At a junction in the path, where you can see houses on your left, turn to the path on the right.

[6] When the path meets Cole Bank Road, cross over at the pedestrian crossing and return to Sarehole Mill car park.

Sarehole Mill website: http://www.bmag.org.uk/sarehole-mill

Moseley Bog website: http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/cs/Satellite/moseleybog