| Cannon Hill Park | |
|---|---|
 Cannon Hill Park lake | |
 | |
| Type | Public park |
| Location | Birmingham,England |
| Coordinates | 52°27′11″N1°54′04″W / 52.453°N 1.901°W /52.453; -1.901 |
| Operated by | Birmingham City Council |
| Status | Open year round |
| Website | birmingham |
Cannon Hill Park is apark located in southBirmingham,England. It is the most popular park in the city, covering 250 acres (101 ha) consisting of formal, conservation, woodland and sports areas. Recreational activities at the park include boating, fishing, bowls, tennis, putting and picnic areas.
It also containsBirmingham Wildlife Conservation Park, themac arts centre, and adjacent to the park isEdgbaston Cricket Ground.
On 18 April 1873,[1] a local benefactor, MissLouisa Ann Ryland (1814–89) of Barford Hill House, Warwickshire, gave just over 57 acres (23 ha)[1] of meadow land, known as Cannon Hill Fields, to the Corporation and paid for the draining of the site to create a public park.J.T Gibson ofBattersea was employed to transform the site. He constructed two large lakes, the smaller ornamental ponds and a bathing pool. 35 acres were devoted to ornamental gardens and shrub borders.Kew Gardens donated seeds and plants to establish the collection, this collection was used by students to enable them to studybotany. It opened to the public in September 1873.[2] A further 7 acres (2.8 ha) were given by the brewer John Holder in 1897 which was inaugurated to mark theDiamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria,[3] and in 1898 5 acres (2.0 ha) were acquired to straighten theRiver Rea, which is nowculverted and runs along the western edge.
A 1906 granite and bronzememorial to the dead of theSecond Boer War byAlbert Toft,[4] stands on the western edge of the park.Grade II* listed, it was refurbished in 2012.[5][6]
In 1911 a 16th-century timbered house was moved fromDeritend and re-erected in the park by the Birmingham Archaeological Society,[7] to serve as a refreshment room and cricket pavilion. Named theGolden Lion Inn it is a Grade IIlisted building but is now in a very poor state of repair and fenced-off. The bandstand, the bridge over the lake ('Red Carriage Bridge'), and Cannon Hill House are also Grade II Listed.
Another memorial, unveiled on 27 July 1924,[8] commemorates Scouts who fell in the First and (by later inscription) Second World Wars. It is in concrete, and was designed by the architectWilliam Haywood.
A scale model of theElan Valley Reservoirs, in the form of ornamental ponds, is located in aJapanese garden near themac. It was built in 1962.[9]
On 4 March 2019, a memorial to the British victim of the 2015Bardo National Museum attack, and 30 British victims of the2015 Sousse attacks, inTunisia, was unveiled byPrince Harry, Duke of Sussex.[10][11] The memorial is calledInfinite Wave.[10]
A free 5 kilometreparkrun running event is held in the park every Saturday morning at 9 am[12] and usually attracts over 750 runners each week. A free 2 kilometrejunior parkrun event for children aged between 4 and 14 takes place at 9 am on Sunday mornings.
The Great Birmingham 10k andGreat Birmingham Run half-marathon events also pass through the park.
