Moseley bog is a small natural wood in the south of the city that is perhaps most famous for its…read moreconnections to Tolkien who lived nearby and spent some of his childhood playing in the area. A few years ago this was quite a wild, abandoned and unloved looking place. However, since the release of Lord of the Rings, the establishment of the Middle Earth weekend and the support of local groups such as the Wildlife Trust for Birmingham Moseley Bog has taken on a bit of a transformation and the recent introduction of walk-ways make it an easier place to explore. You can access the bog via Yardley Wood Road or through Pensby Close and it's a lovely place to visit in the spring when blue-bells are out in force. Interesting fact - as well as being linked to Tolkien, it's said that a house next to the bog was once used by Birmingham based reggae band UB40 for some of their earlier recordings...

One of the curious things I've found about Birmingham is that for a city that has a reputation for…read morebeing ugly, it has a large number of areas of natural beauty hidden away. Moseley Bog is one of them. As the name suggests, it's an area of boggy woodland with plenty of nooks and cranies to poke about in. Though there's plenty of raised wooden pathways, it could still be hard work for those unsteady on their feet, with plenty of small hills and steps to negotiate. There's also plenty there for those for foragers on the hunt for wild foods. Get there at the right time in spring and you can come away with bags and bags of wild garlic. In conclusion, a great little escape from the pressures of city life.

What a fantastic day out! We drove down to Shropshire to meet our friends who suggested an…read moreexploration of the fantastic Hawkstone Park and Follies (to where, despite growing up in its backyard, they had never been either). There's lots to do here-- a hotel, outdoor activities like off-road driving, archery, balloon flights and, of course, hiking. Open year round, they have specialty activities around all the major holidays and there's something for the whole family. The hike through The Follies is pretty spectacular. The circular trail takes you through forests, terrific rock formations weathered from, well, weather it seems!-- and caves (you need a torch!). It's not an easy hike-- the uneven surfaces, steep inclines and equally steep (and narrow!) steps cut into the rocks are daunting. If you add rain into the mix (which we had), it makes for a bit of a precarious (and slippery!) adventure. But well worth it. There are picnic tables and benches dotted along the way-- and on a nice day, it is a fantastic place for a picnic-- if not only for the excuse to take a bit of a breather when you make it to the top. Estimated to be a three-hour round trip hike (depending on your pace and how long you stop to admire the plethora of incredible views), it's well worth your time. Plus, if you start early enough, you can make it back before the little tea room with veranda at the visitor's centre closes to reward yourself with some well-earned sweets and of course, the quintessential English cuppa (in a little teapot and everything). Well worth the trek-- we will be coming back here again!

Dovedale is a disaster waiting to happen. People climbing the mountains with large rocks nearly…read moremissing people head. Witnessed a small rock hitting a poor young child. Seen delinquents rolling rocks from the top of the mountain. If those rocks hit anyone it's game over for that person. Multiple barbecues being held on site with people smoking shishas. No security on site. No signs of any rangers in site. Litter everywhere. A disaster waiting to happen from what I saw today

Just north of Ashbourne, Dovedale is most peoples first foray into the Peak District. As a result…read moreit can be unbelievably busy on bank holidays and on any nice day in the British summer. It is a lovely place to go walking, picturesque countryside and a straightforward circular walk back to the car park of around 6 miles. Great in the winter to stretch the legs, but the stepping stones that Dovedale are famous for will probably be flooded in the winter, so don't get caught out on the wrong side of the river and have to retrace your steps! Its close proximity to Derby and Ashbourne means that the best time to go to Dovedale is 'off peak', unless you are partial to queueing and crowds.

Caspin Journeys is comprised of Pino and Caroline Nobile, a husband and wife team that take people…read moreall over the United Kingdom and Italy on "unique active travel experiences". What does that mean? When signing up for one of Caspin Jourenys' tours, prepare to see parts of the UK or Italy that you never thought you'd see before. Caspin gives you a much more down to earth, local, countryside view of the cities and towns on their tours. Many days consist of 3-6 mile hikes between towns, stopping at many of the best local restaurants and visiting unique sights, all with the knowledge of Pino and Caroline. You'll stay at the finest hotels, drink great local wine, and not have to worry about your luggage! Pino and Caroline have meticulously researched all their tours. They know the right room for you to stay in at the hotel. They know the restaurants with the best food and service. They know the best activities to do in the towns. They know the best shops to go to. All so you can have the trip of a lifetime. My family and I went and did their Tuscany and Cinque Terre tour this September. The Cinque Terre is known for being able to hike between all the beautiful Mediterranean towns. However at this moment, the first two hikes are closed due to mud slides and safety. "Fear not!" Caroline shouts in her English accent. "We are still going to be able to hike most of it by taking some lesser known routes." Not only did we hike 11 miles that day and accomplished something most people only dream of (if they even know this place exists!), we saw some of the most amazing views God has put on this earth. If you are the type of person that doesn't want the cookie-cutter tour of Europe, then go to Caspin Journeys. My family has done 4 tours with them now, each one just as unique and fulfilling. I'm more than happy to share other stories...feel free to message me. Thank you Pino and Caroline!

From the owner: Caspin Journeys specialises in exclusive hiking tours, themed tours and cultural tours in Italy and…read moreEngland.

Expensive to park. If you want to know where your £500,000 "for Wendover to mitigate the impact of…read moreHS2" went take a look at the buildings for the restaurant. This is what all the money was spent on. Worth it? No because the build involved sacking off the previous Cafe which was locally owned and run and was brilliant. In its place this faceless building run by a chain from Birmingham, more expensive and not nearly as good.

2 thumbs up from me! I wish I had more hands so I could give it more thumbs up. I have toes, of…read morecourse and they're up- but it's not the same! "A hand, a hand, my kingdom for a hand" W. Shakespeare Or maybe it was Henry the V111 it was one of them. Unless it was Marlowe? Anyway, excellent woods, peaceful, relaxing, tree filled. Great car park. Well done Wendover. I can't wait to see what you come up with next!

The only thing I knew about Alderley Edge was that lots of rich footballers and Corrie stars lived…read morethere. I don't think I even knew there was an actual real life edge until I looked it up online before we visited. There are lots of legends about the edge being a magical place, and there is actually a 3.5 mile 'wizard walk' which takes you to sites such as druid's circle and devil's grave. On arrival at Alderley Edge after catching the train from Manchester Piccadilly we realised that we had no idea where 'the edge' was. I had expected it to be a bit more visible. We walked past numerous pretentious cafes and bars and up a very steep hill past some very very nice houses. I kept my eye out for Rio Ferdinand (don't ask) but sadly I didn't spot him, or any of his team mates. We still couldn't find the edge. 2 hours and a lot of hills later and we stumbled upon a National Trust sign. We'd reached the edge! The sandstone escarpment was a little smaller than I'd imagined but there were some nice views out to the Cheshire countryside and into the Peaks. It's possible to walk up/down through a wooded area (which was pretty muddy when we went so wear your wellies) or just park your car in the car park and walk for 5 minutes to the edge. It's not possible to spend a full day here, but if you're feeling flush I suppose you could combine it with celeb-spotting in the village. Let me know if you see Rio!

Alderley Edge is a lovely place to take dogs for a walk. However, everyone knows that Alderley Edge…read moreis a great place to take dogs for a walk. And that means that Alderley Edge is covered in people taking dogs for a walk. Lots of footballers live near Alderley Edge. Maybe you'll see Rio Ferdinand walking his dog with everyone else. Probably not.

Kings Heath park is absolutely huge. It's great to have picnics at, go for walks, have colour…read morefights (as my friends and I did ) , walk the dogs and even entertain the kids. Everytime I go there are always various clubs going on which is great to have something to occupy time with! Additionally, it has very quiet areas, especially by the pond , and I usually take work and do it there. It's a great park!

I like Kings Heath park, it's got a lot going for it. First…read moreoff, it's a like a park of two halfs, oh and it's massive. It's like maybe two, three or even four parks in one. You've got the footpath that leads all the way around the park, which is popular with walkers, joggers and cyclists. This path will lead you from one of the three entrances right down to where the park edges alongside the trainline. How many miles this walkway is I don't know, but it's a good walk to take it all in. The path snakes in around the parks water feature which is really quite beautiful and is popular with ducks. There is also a tea room, tennis courts, a bowling green, basketball hoops, and two childrens playgrounds. This is a supreme park with large open grass spaces to boot. Kings Heath park is a great asset to the south of Birmingham and has a great deal to offer visitors.