A visit to Perry Park at the end of May 2022

On the 30th May 2022, I got the train to the new look Perry Barr Station. After coffee at Costa at the One Stop shopping centre, I had a half hour walk up Aldridge Road to get into Perry Park. Managed to see the Perry Reservoir, but some paths blocked off due to the Alexander Stadium redevelopment for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and was a temporary path towards the canal.

This post will just be a photo gallery of Perry Park. I will do my May 2022, Alexander Stadium update in another post. At the time of writing, it is mid June 2022, and it is very hot in Birmingham.

The late May day visit to Perry Barr was much cooler.

I would think if people are going to the Alexander Stadium from Perry Barr Station, it would be faster to get a shuttle bus than take the long walk that I did last month.

This visit on Monday 30th May 2022.

Birmingham BMX Club

Entering Perry Park from the main entrance on Aldridge Road near the Birmingham BMX Club. The M6 motorway is beyond here.

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Near the entrance is a skatepark for BMX riders, and behind that, the actuall BMX track.

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Welcome to Birmingham BMX Club.

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The path outside of the BMX Club, heading into Perry Park.

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The start and finish line, the BMX track looks a bit bumpy.

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Holbrook

The Holbrook is a stream that flows through Perry Park. There was a high fence alongside the path, so could only take it at the time from this bridge.

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Paths and trees in Perry Park

Paths in Perry Park. One leads towards Perry Reservoir (and the Alexander Stadium, but the paths are currently blocked off). The other leads to the Alexander Stadium Woodland Walk.

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After a look at the reservoir, a quick look at the Canada geese and trees. As you can't go beyond this path (to the right). But there is a pedestrian diversion path.

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The diversion path runs to one side of the Perry Reservoir. The trees are lush and green here.

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The path takes you around the reservoir, and eventually to the steps up to the Tame Valley Canal. Where you can then take your exit towards Walsall Road. Many routes around the Alexander Stadium are closed, at least until after the games have finished.

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Perry Reservoir

One of the main reasons of this visit was at long last to get a proper look at the Perry Reservoir. Having only glimpsed it years ago from the Tame Valley Canal.

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The reservoir was quite quiet, other than the usual ducks, geese and swans.

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On the opppsite side of Perry Reservoir was swans and Canada geese.

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I then saw a family of Canada geese with their gosling. How cute!

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The reservoir is surrounded by trees on at least two sides.

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With part of the reservoir blocked off by the Alexander Stadium development site, I got the rest of my views from the pedestrian diversion path.

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The Alexander Stadium made for some nice reflections in the water. See more photos in my Alexander Stadium post.

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One last look at the reservoir, before leaving the park for the Tame Valley Canal, where I got more views of the Alexander Stadium on the walk back to the Walsall Road, and later Perry Barr Station.

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Text and photos by Elliott Brown

Perry Park home of the Alexander Stadium in Perry Barr

Perry Park is located in Perry Barr. It is the home of the Alexander Stadium where over the years the British Grand Prix has been held each summer a long with the Diamond League meet. The Tame Valley Canal runs past to the northern edge of the park. Perry Reservoir is also in the park. The M6 motorway is to the east. Between Walsall Road and Aldridge Road.

Perry Park

The park has a 2 kilometre walking route. In 2012 a BMX track was built for the BMX World Championships. It is the home of the Birmingham BMX Club. They were established in 2009. The park is best known for the Alexander Stadium. It is used for International Athletics and it is home of the world-famous Birchfield Harriers Athletics Club. The stadium will be converted for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Increasing the capacity from 17,000 (as it is now) to 20,000.

The park is located between the Walsall Road and Aldridge Road in Perry Barr. The M6 motorway is to the eastern side of the park.

2012

When I went to Perry Park back in August 2012, it was mainly to see the Birmingham Alexander Stadium from the outside. I got the train up to Perry Barr at the time and walked up the Walsall Road. It was a few days before the Aviva Grand Prix. This sign for the Alexander Stadium was on the corner of the Walsall Road with Church Road in Perry Barr.

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Some kind of weather or wind reader (I think). Close to the Walsall Road. I think I must have continued up the road looking at things to do with the (then) upcoming Aviva Grand Prix, then entered the park at Perry Park Crescent.

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This sign for the Birmingham Alexander Stadium was off the Walsall Road. The entrance to the stadium is this way.

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The view of the park from behind the stadium. The lawn up to the trees that line the Tame Valley Canal. Not far from the Perry Park Crescent entrance.

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The back of the Alexander Stadium as it was in 2012. I must have entered the park at Perry Park Crescent.

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Continuing past the Alexander Stadium, hard to see much of the stadium from up here.

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The grass had probably just been cut at the time. This was close to the northern edge of the park near the Tame Valley Canal.

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The car park near the Alexander Stadium. These buildings are the GMAC (Gymnastics and Martial Arts Centre).

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Trees near the southern edge of the Alexander Stadium.

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Saw this Birmingham Alexander Stadium sign. For Car Park's B and C. Not far from Church Road.

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The playground in the park near Church Road.

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Trees in Perry Park from Church Road.

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More trees in Perry Park from Church Road as I headed to the Aldridge Road (to find the old bridge and check out the Perry Barr BCU campus when it was still there at the time).

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This road from Church Road had a gated barrier in the way. You can see the Alexander Stadium in the distance from here. Was also banners there for the Aviva Grand Prix.

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A zoom in to the most modern stand at the Alexander Stadium (as it was in 2012). Hopefully the stadium will be rebuilt for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games (hope the lockdown doesn't delay things too much in 2020).

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Saw this rusted Birmingham City Council sign from Church Road. The playing of golf is not permitted on this site.

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I did not get any more photos of the park in 2012 as I then went down the Aldridge Road to first see the old bridge over the River Tame. So I missed the skatepark and the BMX track. In 2014 I went to the Boar's Head, but it was quite dark when I left, but got a bus back to the City Centre near there (just beyond the M6 overpass).

2018

In April 2018, I was back in Perry Barr for a walk along the Tame Valley Canal. And saw these views of Perry Park (I did not go in). The Birmingham Skyline was visible behind these buildings. Probably the back of the GMAC (Gymnastics and Martial Arts Centre).

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This was only view from the Tame Valley Canal of Perry Park that wasn't hidden by the trees. It's close to a path into the park.

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Trees obsuring the view of the Alexander Stadium from the Tame Valley Canal, but a better view of the stadium than I had 6 years earlier.

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As you can see with the trees from the canal, it was a bit hard to see the Alexander Stadium. But if they rebuild the stadium for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, there wont be much to see from the canalside.

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A view from the Tame Valley Canal of the Perry Reservoir. I need to one day come back and walk around that (after the lockdown ends, will be a long while off before I'm able to go back).

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Another view of the modern stand at the Alexander Stadium, this time seen from the Tame Valley Canal.

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There was these steps down from the Tame Valley Canal into Perry Park which would lead to the Perry Reservoir. But as I was on a canal walk, I didn't get off the canal until I got to College Road.

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I finished my Tame Valley Canal Walk at College Road and walked down to the bus stop not far from the Boar's Head. And didn't think about popping into the park or getting photos of the BMX track or skatepark (at the time). Will need to go back to Perry Park in the future (during lockdown this is not possible). Would be nice to walk around Perry Reservoir sometime in the future, when it is safe again to travel up there.

Bus routes nearby include the 33, 51 and 52.

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

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Birmingham We Are People with Passion award winner 2020