Birmingham

Discover Urban Birmingham with Field Studies Council

Field Studies Council Birmingham delivers dynamic, hands-on courses right in the heart of the Second City.

We use a mix of vibrant urban environments and green spaces to bring learning to life — helping students sharpen their fieldwork skills and connect with the natural world around them.

Explore our locations

Our carefully selected teaching sites are fully accessible and easily reached by train or coach.

Urban geography highlights:

Perry Barr – home of the 2022 Commonwealth Games
The Bullring
Digbeth
Millennium Point
Edgbaston
Ladywood

Urban green spaces include:

Woodgate Valley Country Park
Perry Hall Park
Kingfisher Country Park
Lickey Hills Country Park
Cannon Hill Park
Sutton Park

Course availability varies by site. Find out more about our locations under Local area below.

Flexible and local

Need us somewhere else in Birmingham? We’re happy to come to you — just get in touch to explore the possibilities.

We are proud to work with Birmingham City Council to deliver high-quality environmental education across the city’s parks.

Local area

Urban green spaces:

Woodgate Valley Country Park
Woodgate Valley Country Park is a 450-acre area of countryside in the centre of Bartley Green and Quinton. There are many mixed, mature hedgerows, meadows, woodland, and small ponds. The Bournbrook runs through the park providing opportunities for river studies. The park is designated as a country park and a Local Nature Reserve.
Perry Hall Park
Perry Hall Park was formerly the site of an Elizabethan mansion, Perry Hall, which was home of the Gough family, and demolished in 1927. It is a place where nature thrives, with wildflower meadows, orchards, flower beds and ponds. The River Tame, which flows general north-west to south-east through the park, has been remodelled to slow its flow and alleviate flooding. The site is protected by Fields in Trust royal charter through a legal “Deed of Dedication”.
Kingfisher Country Park
Kingfisher Country Park was opened in July 2004. The park was created to care for an 11km stretch of the River Cole valley, improving it both for people and wildlife. Alongside the river there are areas of formal public open space, tall herbs and scrub, coarse grassland, wetland with several small ponds, man-made lakes and ancient woodland.
Lickey Hills Country Park
Lickey Hills Country Park covers 524 acres and is located just 10 miles south west of Birmingham. Lickey Hills has a complex and interesting geology which has created a variety of habitats. These include woodlands, heathland and grassland, which are home to an incredible diversity of wildlife. Lickey Hills is designated as a country park.
Cannon Hill Park
Cannon Hill Park opened in 1873 and is made up of 80 acres of formal parkland and 120 acres of conservation and woodland plantation, ponds and other features.
Sutton Park
Sutton Park is a 2,400 acre National Nature Reserve located 6 miles north of the city centre and is one of the largest urban parks in Europe. The park has open heathland, woodlands, seven lakes, wetlands, and marshes – each with its own rich variety of plants and wildlife, some rarely seen in the region. Cattle and wild ponies graze on the land. Sutton Park has been designated as a National Nature Reserve, a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a Site of Special Scientific Interest.