A LARGE swathe of historically and environmentally significant Parkland at Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens in Solihull are being restored thanks to a Community Green Grant from the West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA).
The 40-acre estate is a hidden gem on Solihull’s border with Birmingham, featuring a Jacobean Hall and 350-year-old Gardens.
The £23,000 grant from the WMCA will help fund the restoration and conservation of an area of protected wetland, dried-up ponds, and rare acid grassland that is receding due to invading species.
Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA chair, visited Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens to see work funded by the WMCA get underway.
He said: “It’s wonderful to see our Green Grants supporting community-led initiatives like Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens.
“These efforts enhance our natural environment and ensure local people have access to green spaces. We know that time spent in nature can be tremendous for our mental and physical wellbeing.
“Working together with communities, we will continue to do all we can to protect and enhance fantastic shared resources that local people right across our region are blessed to be able to enjoy right on their very doorsteps.”
Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens were originally part of the estate of the Earls of Bradford and are now managed by an independent trust.
They sit within the largest conservation area in Solihull.
Glynis Powell, general manager at Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens, said: “Our tiny independent Trust feels its responsibility to this exceedingly rare combination of buildings, gardens and nature very keenly.
“The whole area is a rare survival from the late 17th and early 18th century and has only survived the encroachment of this century’s fast roads and industrial development by a combination of passionate individuals, enlightened institutions and public authorities recognising its long-term value.
The formal gardens and the 30-acre parkland are both Grade II Listed, meaning they are in the top 10 per cent of protected landscapes in the country.
Coun Ian Courts, a member of the WMCA Board and leader of Solihull Council, said: “Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens are an important part of Solihull’s history and landscape, and provide a fantastic green haven in what is otherwise a densely built-up area of the borough.
