Introduction to Sutton Park

Sutton Park is the largest urban park in Europe. Already a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), it gained National Nature Reserve (NNR) status in March 1997. This is a remarkable achievement as the park is situated just 7 miles (11 km) from the centre of Birmingham, the UK's second largest city. Seldom is such a large expanse of varied 'rural' habitat found so close to the heart of a major city. Standing in the middle of Sutton Park, it is hard for a visitor to believe that the Park is surrounded on all sides by suburban sprawl.

Picture taken from the cover of the 1980 booklet on Sutton Park

In recognition of its long history of human use, and the quality of the remaining evidence, large parts of the park were declared a Scheduled Ancient Monument in March 2002. 'Scheduling' further protects the park's future, since potentially damaging actions now require consent from the government, via the English Heritage agency.

The park is some 2,400 acres (970 hectares) in area. There are seven man-made pools, with associated streams and wetland areas. Lowland heath is another important wildlife habitat. One notable feature of the woodlands is the number of Holly trees.

The park is now closed to through traffic, although there are entrances for vehicles with parking available nearby. The peaceful roads in the interior of the park are ideal for walking, cycling and wheelchair access.

The park is used for a wide range of recreational activities. Although areas such as the children's playground near Town Gate can be very busy in the summer, especially at weekends and bank holidays, peace and quite can still be found further in.

December sunshine in the heart of the Park

The park can be as beautiful in a hard winter as it is in summer; truly a park for all seasons.

See also Birmingham City Council's web site for Sutton Park. If you want to read more about Sutton Park and its history, some books are listed in the Bibliography.

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