Lickey Hills Country Park: Birmingham's favourite hills for walkers

When Birmingham wants fresh air and big views, it heads for the Lickeys. Around 11 miles south-west of the city centre, Lickey Hills Country Park covers some 524 acres of woodland and hilltop and is run by Birmingham City Council as one of its oldest managed parks.

Its story is one of generosity. Public access began in 1888, when the Birmingham Society for the Preservation of Open Spaces bought Rednal Hill and gave it to the city. Beacon Hill was bought by the Cadbury brothers in 1907 and gifted to Birmingham, with Cofton Hill, Lickey Warren and Pinfield Wood added in 1920 and the Rose Hill estate in 1923. The park was given Country Park status in 1971.

The highlight for most walkers is Beacon Hill, the highest point of the range at around 298 metres. It was once part of a national network of warning beacons, and a tapestry map from around the time of the Spanish Armada shows a beacon basket on its summit. Today a toposcope commemorating the Cadbury gift stands in a little castle-like structure rebuilt in 1988 for the park's centenary, with sweeping views across the city.

There is plenty to keep active visitors busy. Nature trails and guided walks are run by the Ranger Service, and the long-distance North Worcestershire Path, which runs 37 miles from Bewdley to Major's Green, climbs through the hills' Scots pine and native woodland. The park also has an 18-hole municipal golf course, reported to be the first non-membership course of its kind in the country.

Autumn is a lovely time to visit, when the woods turn golden and families come to pick bilberries. The visitor centre, open since April 1990, has an exhibition, a small café and a gift shop, with three car parks nearby.

The park held a Green Flag Award for seven years in a row from 2000 and welcomes more than 500,000 visitors a year, proof that this much-loved landscape is as popular as ever.

Whether you fancy a gentle stroll, a hilltop picnic or a long-distance hike, the Lickey Hills are the perfect escape on Birmingham's doorstep.