Malvern & Brueton Park
| Malvern and Brueton Park | |
|---|---|
Brueton Park Lake,
formed by the damming of the River Blythe |
|
| Type | Public park |
| Location | Solihull, U.K. |
| Coordinates | 52°24′30″N 1°46′04″W / 52.4082°N 1.7678°WCoordinates: 52°24′30″N 1°46′04″W / 52.4082°N 1.7678°W |
| Area | 130 acres (0.53 km2) |
| Created | 1944 |
| Operated by | Solihull Council |
| Status | Open year round |
Malvern and Brueton Park is a town park and Local Nature Reserve in Solihull in the West Midlands. The park is formed from a comparatively narrow strip of land, with the length being approximately ten times the average width, but it is looped forming a roughly U-shaped layout. The parks cover an area of approximately 130 acres (0.53 km2). Historically the park was formed by the joining of two separate parcels of different land. There is a large water feature, Brueton Park Lake, which runs through the southern end of the park, and is formed by the damming of a local watercourse, the River Blythe.
Given the size and aspect of the park, the character of the land differs considerably along its length. The Malvern end of the Park acts as a formal town centre Park, and is within easy walking access to the main town shopping area. It also offers displays of formal floral arrangements and has a large children’s playground area.
Malvern Park was laid out by the then Urban District Council in 1926 on land partly forming part of the estate of Malvern Hall and partly purchased from local farmers (Malvern Park Farm). Malvern Hall, which dates back to about 1690, still remains but is home now to St Martin's Independent School for Girls. The town centre entrance gateposts date from that year; the gates, like so much municipal ironwork, were requisitioned for scrap in the 1939-45 war and were never replaced.
A statue, the Prancing Horse and Man dominates the ‘Malvern Park Avenue’. This powerful statue was made in 1874 by Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm (1834–90), Viennese-born Sculptor in Ordinary to Scotland, and is thought to represent Alexander the Great and his famous steed Bucephalas, which only he could control. It was purchased at auction by Captain Oliver Bird, of Bird's Custard, for his garden at Tudor Grange, but he donated it to the Solihull Council in 1945 and it was finally placed in Malvern Park in the Coronation year, 1953.
In contrast, the Brueton Park side is more devoted to wildlife, with a Local Nature Reserve, the lake and a grove of mature trees. There are several "species" of Oak including English, Turkey, Scarlet and Chestnut-leafed. There is only one species of Ash, but there are several "cultivars" of this species. These include Golden, Single-leafed and weeping Ash. There are also many conifers within the park and these include species such as Scots Pine, Bald Cypress and Giant Redwood .
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Wikipedia