Clowes Wood Nature Reserve — Attraction in Metropolitan Borough of Solihull

I've been visiting Clowes Wood for some years now, to walk my dog. It's quite safe to let dogs off the lead so long as you are aware, there is a railway at the top end. It's an extremely pretty and ancient wood, situated a little way from Earlswood Lakes. With an abundance of wildlife, birds, streams, and meandering paths, it's easy to get lost if you don't keep to the designated pathways. There are several routes you can walk, some are short, about a mile or so and some more like three miles. There are few sitting down places unless you sit on a fallen tree, so it would be a challenge for anyone with a bad back. It isn't wheelchair friendly in any part of the wood and on a lovely day, parking can also be tricky. To get to the car park, drive past Manor Farm (the lane opposite The Red Lion pub in Earlswood) all the way to the last house on the left and it's a sharp left turn into the car park. In the autumn and winter it can get very wet and boggy so wear wellies. Children will love it, it's a magical place for children and the wood is so big, you won't bump into too many people. Afterwards you can drive back down the lane to the tea rooms at Manor Farm and have a nice hot cuppa! One last thing, if you are old enough to remember the Blair Witch Project, this primarily Beech Wood can be reminiscent of the...

Car park only has space for about 8 cars, but if you can find it you should find a space in or close to it. Lovely forest with trees clearings and rivers and lakes. Often referred to as the Earls Wood because of the nearby village and train station, bit Clowes Wood is what you need to type in Tony our sat nav. We've spent about 90 mins there each time, but you can explore for a few hours if you have time. No toilets, no cafe, no shelter that I've found, so come prepared. There is also a railway bridge that affords good views of the tracks below. Photos uploaded from a visit on 9 Dec 2017 when the snow made the place look...

A lovely little hidden gem. Nice walks through the forest here out onto the reservoirs. I’d have scored it higher except it isn’t really warranted; it’s a small car park without any facilities and I don’t think it will expand any. The walks through the forest are nice but I can’t imagine it being developed beyond what it is. It’s nice, but it isn’t a fancy National trust car park with info boards etc! But it is a great spot to stop and walk the dog, if you can get a space in...