Country Parks

We love working in and with our local communities – making our country parks and nature reserves greener, safer and healthier.

At Groundwork West Midlands we are passionate about managing, maintaining and improving the quality of the ecology and the biodiversity of these green spaces. Our expert rangers and volunteers work tirelessly and we currently look after five parks and reserves.

Silverdale Country Park

This picturesque 83-hectare park in Newcastle Under Lyme was created on the former Silverdale Colliery. It is our flagship designated site of biological importance, and is a stunning space for the public to enjoy and for nature to thrive.

Volunteers helping lay a path
Volunteers building a stone wall
Volunteers building a stone wall
Volunteers building a stone wall
An image showing the view of Silverdale from a hill, including a view of the water
An image showing the view of Silverdale from a hill, including a view of the water

Silverdale, created as part of a restoration project funded by the Homes and Communities Agency, is now owned by the Land Trust and managed by Groundwork West Midlands. The site has achieved Green Flag status on four occasions, and has won multiple awards over the past decade, including the Britain in Bloom ‘Discretionary Environmental Award’ in both 2015 and 2019, the Land Trust’s ‘Highly Commended Nature Space of 2019’.

Visit the park’s Waste Farm Plateau, a largely open grassland landscape with a number of distinct level changes created as a result of the stockpiled colliery spoil. The plateaus are separated by embankments colonised with natural grass and wildflowers including orchids and young trees.

The highest point of the plateau, affords extensive views to the surrounding area. Skylarks are already abundant on the park in spring time and great crested newts can be found in the small ponds.

We host a range of events at the park, including the popular Silverdale Country Fair in the summer. Our Park Ranger, Andy, advocates traditional skills, scything the meadows by hand and working with volunteers to build dry stone walls. There are also hedge planting events and we run hedge laying courses.

To find out more about Silverdale, visit the Land Trust site.

Hassall Green Nature Reserve

Hassall Green Nature Reserve in Cheshire is a 2.2 hectare site. It opened in spring 2014 and, as the name implies, our vision is to nurture this site as a haven for wildlife. With woodland surroundings and wildflower meadows, it has great potential to attract key species that will use it as their home or as a resting point for onward travel.

This site was previously used for landfill until it was closed in the late 1980s. The Land Trust has since taken over ownership and delegated management to Groundwork West Midlands. We continue to work with a bank of committed volunteers to help improve biodiversity, and we provide guided walks and activities with schools.

Find out more about Hassell Green on the Land Trust site.

A bridge leading to two paths surrounded by trees and nature
a path leading to the woods
am image showing the sun setting through the trees
Volunteers helping to pick up rubbish
Volunteers helping to clear rubbish from fence
Green space in the reserve
a picture of a pond with ducks in and trees surrounding it

The Old Brickworks Nature Reserve

The Old Brickworks Nature Reserve is located near Hednesford, which is approximately 1.5 miles east of Cannock, Staffordshire. Classified as a Site of Biological Interest, the reserve supports a wide variety of important habitats, including woodland, wetland and meadow areas. Being situated in the middle of a busy urban environment, the reserve provides an excellent opportunity for people to experience nature on their doorstep.

Find out more about The Old Brickworks on the Land Trust site or visit the Facebook page

a picture of a pond with trees surrounding
A picture of a pond with trees surrounding it and ducks inside
A picture of a grass and trees surrounding the pond
A picture of the pond at dusk
A picture of a pond with ducks inside and weeds

Telford Millennium Nature Reserve
This 44-acre nature reserve sits approximately 3km north of Telford. The site is a former mining area with several treated and capped mine shafts located across the site. Home to a variety of habitats, including woodland, heathland, meadow and grassland, as well as housing UK Biodiversity Action Plan species such as Great Crested Newts, the reserve is a valuable source of relaxation and environmental education for local residents and schools.

We run a range of events at the nature reserve. To find out what’s happening, please check out our Facebook page.

An image of a pond surrounded by trees and bushes
A path in between two trees
An image of the sun setting through the woods
A noticeboard next to a path with green trees surrounding
An image of a goose next to a pond with trees
An image of a field of trees with a rainbow in the sky
A path in the middle of trees
A pond surrounded by trees and grass
An image of the sun setting over the pond
An image of flowers growing in the pond
An image of a pond that has been iced over with trees in the background

Bilston Urban Village Nature Reserve
Bilston Urban Village is a flagship development for Wolverhampton and the wider Black Country. It aims to showcase the area’s ability to deliver mixed-use and sustainable housing development alongside the creation and management of high-quality green spaces that are an asset for both local communities and biodiversity.

We run a range of events at the nature reserve.

To find out what’s happening, please check out our Facebook page.

Brook Park

This 37-hectare site in Mansfield is home to specially recreated limestone grassland, providing a rich haven for diverse wildlife.

We act as the managing agent for Brook Park, working alongside Groundwork Five Counties who help us to run some of the community engagement activities.

Throughout the year, you can enjoy a range of sights and activities. We offer seasonal activities such as Easter Egg hunts, Halloween events and summer fetes. We also run more regular activities such as Health Walks, community litter picking, or family friendly Bug Hunts.

If you’re visiting the park on a warm summer’s day, watch out for butterflies and other insects. The Dingy Skipper butterfly has been spotted at Brook Park, a variety that has suffered serious declines in its numbers nationally.

Find out more on the Land Trust website.

An image of a bridge going over a field of grass and trees
an image of

We are seeking more volunteers to work across our Country Parks. If you’re interested, please contact us.