Sandwell Valley

Address: RSPB Sandwell Valley, Tanhouse Ave, Birmingham B43 5AG, UK

Grid ref: SP035928

Get close to nature at Sandwell Valley, a perfect reserve for families to have fun together outdoors. At the visitor centre find out about the latest activities, plot your route and get an idea of what wildlife to look out for as you explore this beautiful oasis.

Plan your visit

The reserve and trails are open to pedestrians at all times.

Visitor centre and car park are open 10am - 5pm from Tuesday to Sunday during the summer; 10am - 4pm over the winter.

The hide is open 10am - 3pm from Tuesday to Sunday (subject to volunteer availability).

Free entrance to RSPB members: Yes

Adults: Free, but donations are very welcome.

Children: Free, but donations are very welcome.

Car park cost: £3 per vehicle in the visitor centre car park – RSPB members park for free.

Facilities

Visitor centre
Car park
Toilets
Accessible toilets
Baby changing
Refreshments
Picnic area
Binocular hire
Guided walks
Viewing point
Nature trails
Shop off-site
Educational facilities
Play area

Accessibility

Download full accessibility statement (PDF)

How to get here

By train

Hamstead is the nearest railway station. Turn right onto the main road - the Hamstead Hill/Old Walsall Road. Turn left into Hamstead Road then take the fourth left into Tanhouse Avenue just after Hamstead Primary School following the brown sign.

By bus

From Birmingham Priory Queensway: Take the number 16 bus to Hamstead, alight at Tanhouse Avenue. From West Bromwich Bus Station: Take the number 5 or 46 bus and alight at Bowstoke Road. Walk along Bowstoke Road to Tanhouse Avenue (20 minutes walk). From Sutton Coldfield Lower Parade: Take the number 5 bus and alight at Bowstoke Road. Walk along Bowstoke Road to Tanhouse Avenue (20 minutes walk).

By bike

National Route 5.

By road

The reserve is brown signposted off the A4041 (Newton Rd) North of Hampstead, take Hamstead Road (B4167), which is fifth on the left near the bottom of the hill by the church (look for the brown sign marked RSPB nature centre).

Sat nav POI file: If you have a satellite navigation system that can accept POI files, please see our POI page for a download link and instructions.

Get directions from Google Maps

RSPB reserves on Google Earth

Discover a knot of newts, a knab of toads or a cloud of grasshoppers. Give your class a unique learning experience and tick some of those important curriculum targets. Our carefully designed programmes will help primary school pupils develop a range of skills and learn how to identify minibeasts, habitats and so much more.

Every child has the opportunity to discover the miniature world of nature for themselves; from ponds, minibeast meadows, woodland, the river Tame and a bird hide on stilts. Sandwell is a wonderful setting for a memorable day learning about the wealth of nature on your doorstep.

The range of habitats at RSPB Sandwell Valley are all in easy reach of the visitor centre, which means we can provide investigative field work and experience-led programmes to suit your group's needs.

Bring your class here and discover more about garden, woodland and wetland habitats. Led by trained and experienced teaching and volunteer staff, our school sessions and activities are fun and engaging. Pupils work together and develop an understanding of nature through practical activities.

Each programme is designed to last two hours. Sessions run from 10am–12pm and then 12.30pm–2.30pm. Two programmes can be combined to make a whole-day visit. Find out more on our Sandwell Valley school trips page.

12 degrees, Light rain

Downloads

Map to help you find your way around our RSPB Sandwell Valley reserve. PDF, 336Kb.

Sandwell Valley reserve map

Contact Sandwell Valley

RSPB Sandwell Valley, Tanhouse Ave, Birmingham B43 5AG, UK
sandwellvalley@rspb.org.uk
0121 357 7395
@RSPBSandwell
Find us on facebook

What will you see?

Our star species

Goosander

These 'saw-billed' ducks are winter visitors to Sandwell Valley.

Lapwing

Look out for the tiny chicks in late spring and early summer.

Little ringed plover

Sandwell provides the perfect place to rest and refuel in spring and autumn.

Snipe

These cryptically-coloured waders can be seen here in winter.

Whitethroat

Whitethroats arrive at Sandwell Valley in late April and can be seen in the scrubby areas until early autumn.

Warblers arrive back home. Swallows and sand martins return in April, followed by house martins. Reed buntings and dunnocks start singing, adding their voices to the chorus. Lapwing chicks, goslings and ducklings are a delight to see. Early butterflies and bumblebees visit the spring flowers. The pond life wakes up ready to be explored.

Chiffchaffs sing their two note song from treetops, complementing nine species of warbler setting up homes. Swifts zoom past, hunting insects over the lake. Newts bask in the warm ponds while dragonflies dart around overhead. Beautiful flowers bloom in the meadow and the bee bank buzzes with solitary burrowing bees.

Wading birds stop off on their journeys for a rest. Water rails can be glimpsed when they break cover between the reeds. The leaves turn into vivid reds, oranges and yellows and bullfinches visit the feeding station near the visitor centre. Ring necked parakeets feed on the apple trees in the wildlife garden.

Winter ducks including wigeons, teals, pochards, shovelers and goosanders gather on Forge Mill Lake. Fieldfares and redwings feast on berries in the scrub. 100 snipe and jack snipe gather. The feeding station is a swirl of activity with willow tits, bullfinches and more.

About Sandwell Valley

Habitat

This enchanting urban green space, once used by the nearby colliery, now flourishes with wildlife. RSPB Sandwell Valley is a fascinating mosaic of different habitats providing homes to a variety of wildlife. Wildflower meadows bloom with colour and buzz with insect life. Escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and bathe in the woodland's relaxing atmosphere. The scrub is ideal for nesting birds and fills with winter thrushes feasting on the winter berries. Our wildlife garden might spark some ideas for giving nature a home in your own garden and the ponds are full of life to explore.

Conservation

The nature reserve is a place for wintering water birds to find food and shelter, breeding birds to nest and migrating birds to stop and feed on their long journeys. It’s a home for frogs, toads and newts and special types of bees. The reserve provides a valuable urban green space for people in the local community too.

We manage the lake for special birds in the winter, like goosanders, shovelers and wigeons, and breeding birds such as lapwings and little ringed plovers. We clear vegetation on the islands and have rafts for nesting and roosting water birds.

We have growing reedbeds for birds like water rails and reed buntings. Every year we rake out fallen vegetation and cut back small trees. We're also coppicing and pollarding mature willows in the surrounding wet woodland to provide nesting habitat for Britain’s fastest declining resident bird species - willow tits.

We are managing wet grassland areas for breeding lapwings, as well as wintering waders and water birds. We mow the grass in autumn, and remove willow saplings. Meadows are mowed to keep them open for hunting kestrels, feeding finches and flourishing wildflowers and insects in summer.

Partners

Our thanks goes to all charitable trusts, companies and RSPB local groups who have generously given us their valuable time, effort and support.

Heritage Lottery Fund
Ibstock Cory Environmental Trust
Nature Improvement Areas project has been supported by Defra, DCLG, Environment Agency, Forestry Commission and Natural England, Birmingham & Black Country Nature Improvement Area

Site information

Wild times for all! RSPB Sandwell Valley is a fantastic place to get close to nature. It’s perfect for families to have fun together outdoors. Start your adventure at the visitor centre to find out about the latest activities and events, plot your route and get an idea of what wildlife to look out for at this beautiful countryside oasis.

Discover and play: There’s a lot of nature to explore at RSPB Sandwell Valley. Visitors with little ones can enjoy walks along our buggy-friendly paths, wildlife challenges, activities and natural play features. Wildlife watchers can enjoy exploring the mosaic of habitats, spotting the wildlife that lives here.

Wonderful wildlife: RSPB Sandwell Valley is home to a variety of wildlife. Visit the Lakeside Lookout hide to spot wetland birds with the help of our friendly guides, hire a kit to go bug hunting or pond dipping (seasonal) or just stroll around taking in seasonal highlights such as dragonflies, fungi, wildflowers and more.

Relax and enjoy: Take in the wonderful view from our dog-friendly visitor centre while enjoying a hot drink and a snack. The indoor family activities available are especially great for a rainy day.

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Activities and events

Activities for children and families

There are plenty of activities for families to do. Hire a kit to go pond dipping, bird spotting or bug hunting. Explore the natural play trail with den building, balance beams, secret paths and a mud kitchen.

The Baby Birds parent and toddler group for pre-school children and their carers takes place every Wednesday. The Sandwell Swans, our 8-12-year-old Wildlife Explorers, meet once a month. Check out our events page for lots of family events including Explorer Thursdays during school holidays.