Not far from Witton Cemetery is Witton Lakes Park. It's also quite close to the M6. On the Christmas Day morning of December 2019, we went on a walk around this park. There was also time to pop into Brookvale Park (post coming soon). The walk started at Perry Common Road and passed both lakes towards Marsh Hill and back. Was lucky that morning to have a blue sky and clear weather.

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Witton Lakes Park: a pair of lakes north of the M6


Witton Lakes Park: a pair of lakes north of the M6


Not far from Witton Cemetery is Witton Lakes Park. It's also quite close to the M6. On the Christmas Day morning of December 2019, we went on a walk around this park. There was also time to pop into Brookvale Park (post coming soon). The walk started at Perry Common Road and passed both lakes towards Marsh Hill and back. Was lucky that morning to have a blue sky and clear weather.


Is it too late to say "Merry Christmas"? On the 25th December 2019 we headed up to Witton Lakes Park for a Christmas Day morning walk around this park with a pair of lakes. Such a lovely morning. Had blue skies and sunshine. Plenty of birds about such as geese, swans and ducks etc.

First some history from Wikipedia: Witton Lakes. They are a former pair of drinking reservoirs between Perry Common and Erdington. They are fed by two brooks from Kingstanding and from Bleak Hill in Erdington. They overspill into the Brookvale Park Lake before eventually reaching the River Tame. The brooks are natural. The lakes were created near the end of the 19th century to supply drinking water for Birmingham. At the time they were in the countryside but when Birmingham grew and got industrialised, the water was no longer fit for drinking. So the City turned to the Elan Valley in Wales for a supply. One lake is now used for model boating, the other for nature conservation. The North Birmingham Cycle route runs through the park.

 

Getting into the park from Perry Common Road and following this path towards the lakes.

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As the path continues, the trees made some nice shadows in the sunshine.

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Field to the right of the path, I was more interested in seeing the pair of lakes. I found this park a few months before looking on Google Maps when I was last in Erdington.

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Crossing over this footbridge near a brook that feeds into the first lake I would see. This is part of the National Cycle Network route 535. Also known as the North Birmingham Cycle / Walk Route. You can follow a nearby sign to Stockland Green or to the City Centre.

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A look at the brook in the direction of the lakes. This bridge with a grill was closed off (I don't think members of the public can walk over it).

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First view of the first lake. Clouds were clearing, the sky already looking blue. And plenty of birds around.

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Several low rise tower blocks in the distance from this view of the lake. Four towers called: Huntington House, Kingsbridge House, Lynton House and Greenford House.

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Near the end of the first lake. There is a nearby school called Wilson Stuart School. And Perry Common is in this direction.

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Between the two lakes is this path and benches to sit and admire the lakes and the wildlife. Some nice shadows from the benches on the left.

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This Tufted Duck was in the first lake that I saw. Viewed from the path betwen both of the lakes.

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This is a Eurasian Wigeon, also seen in the first lake.

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On the other side of the path that splits the lake. Another path that leads towards the North Birmingham Academy. Next it was time to walk around the second lake in the park.

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There was a large family of swans with their young on the second lake. I would soon walk down the straight that leads to a waterfall or weir.

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View of the second lake. The sky was looking so blue from here, hardly any clouds. A perfect morning.

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Could this be a palm tree on the Witton Lakes? Maybe it would more impressive in the Summer, but in the Winter it looked good.

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This Coot was swimming in this direction, making an interesting ripple effect in the lake water, making a V shape. Various gulls were behind.

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This view of the second lake from the bridge over the weir or waterfall.

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Now heading on the path towards Marsh Hill (and on towards Brookvale Park), saw this weir on the brook that follows out of the second lake.

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Bright sunshine on the path towards Marsh Hill. Hard to believe that this was on Christmas Day. But then on Christmas Day's on years gone past we've had sunshine and blue skies before (I think).

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Later after the walk around Brookvale Park, headed back through Witton Lakes. And got some more views of the second lake on the way back to the car park on Perry Common Road.

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For more photos of this park, please check out my album on Flickr here: Witton Lakes Park.

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

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Birmingham We Are People with Passion award winner 2020