At Fields in Trust, we’re dedicated to championing access to nature, often focusing on the value and importance of parks and green spaces. But in honour of World Rivers Day (Sunday 22 September), we're turning our attention to the blue spaces within our parks — like the River Tame which flows through Perry Hall Park in Birmingham. Let’s dive in…
World Rivers Day is a chance for millions of people across more than 100 countries to celebrate our waterways. It aims to highlight the importance of rivers, strives to increase public awareness, and encourages the improved stewardship of rivers around the world. In the spirit of the day, we’ve chosen Perry Hall Park as our Protected Park of the Month.
Nestled in Perry Barr, Birmingham - Perry Hall Park is not only steeped in history, but it also has a flowing lifeline at its core: the River Tame.
What’s so important about blue spaces?
Rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water—often referred to as blue spaces—are crucial to the natural world. They are the corridors that feed our landscapes for wildlife and plant communities to thrive. But just like green spaces, they are incredibly important for our mental and physical health too.
Fields in Trust protects almost 3,000 parks and green spaces across the UK, including the sources of 40 rivers within these protected areas. What’s more, 335 Fields in Trust-protected parks and green spaces feature a section of a river or waterway, collectively spanning an incredible 103,531 meters!
Without these protections in place, river catchments risk being built on. This replaces natural vegetation with hard surfaces that are less able to soak up water, leading to environmental degradation and in many cases, reduced flood resilience. Protecting these areas from development supports the surrounding biodiversity and provides access to these blue spaces for people to enjoy.
Perry Hall Park, with its section of the River Tame, is a perfect example of how blue spaces contribute to the wellbeing of both people and wildlife.
Dive into the history
Perry Hall Park has a history as winding as the river that runs through it. Once home to the grand Elizabethan Perry Hall, the estate belonged to the Gough family until the mansion was demolished in 1927.
(Pictured: View of Perry Hall, near Birmingham (between 1720 & 1730) by Thomas Bardwell)
Though the mansion may be long gone, the park has been protected under our legal Deed of Dedication through our Queen Elizabeth II Fields programme.
Launched in 2010 by our now Patron, HRH The Prince of Wales, the Queen Elizabeth II Fields programme aimed to protect spaces to mark HM The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. By 2016, a total of 1,396 spaces across the UK had been protected in perpetuity with an investment of £4 million delivered into these spaces.
With the protection in place, Perry Hall Park will always remain a public recreation land for future generations to enjoy.
The River Tame, which flows generally northwest to southeast through the park, was reimagined in 2005 to help alleviate flooding and create better habitats for the park’s wildlife. This effort was part of the Sustainable Management of Urban Rivers and Floodplains (SMURF).
(Perry Hall Park (November 2023). Photography by Elliott Brown)
Make a splash at Perry Hall Park
As we celebrate World Rivers Day, there’s no better time to visit Perry Hall Park and enjoy all it has to offer. The 158-acre park features football pitches, cricket grounds, and even a velodrome for cycling enthusiasts.
Perry Hall is a hotspot for local wildlife, including a small heronry. It’s also home to wildflower meadows, fruit orchards, and nesting boxes, making it a perfect place to connect with nature. If you’re lucky, you might even spot some of the critters that call the River Tame home.
Whether you visit for a Saturday morning Parkrun, a football match, or a peaceful stroll along the riverbanks, this park is a reminder of just how precious our blue and green spaces are—and how important it is to protect them for future generations.
Challenges like urban development, climate change, and population growth means protecting both green and blue spaces is more important than ever. Inherently interconnected, advocating for the protection of green and blue spaces can’t be tackled independently of one another.
By protecting places like Perry Hall Park, we not only preserve the beauty and history of these areas, but we also secure their role in supporting both the environment and the local community now, and in the future.
(Pictured:Perry Hall Park (November 2023). Photography by Elliott Brown)
Perry Hall Park thrives not just because of its natural beauty, but also because of the support from the Friends of Perry Hall Park. This dedicated group of volunteers carry out restoration projects, and host community events. The park wouldn’t be as successful as it is without their efforts.
(Pictured:Perry Hall Park (November 2023). Photography by Elliott Brown)
