It covers over 30 hectares, and was re-landscaped in the late 1870’s when Haden Hill House was built. In 1922 the park was bought by public subscription and passed to the local authority. It is an area of leisure and history within the West Midlands and it attracts much local interest. Today it contains many fine landscape and architectural features including 2 pools, 2 bowling greens, avenues, ornamental gardens, and a Site of Interest for Nature Conservation known as Corngreaves Nature Area, covering some 40 hectares.

We believe that Haden Hill Estate demonstrates a range of quality experiences for people not only from the borough but also across the wider region.

These experiences range from events developed and run by staff in the Parks and Countryside Service such as guided walks. The Museum Service runs larger scale community events organized in Haden Hill House. The park also provides a range of informal and formal recreational opportunities from walking to children’s play and Haden Hill House Museum.

Recent years has seen a range of improvements to both the landscape and to the buildings in order to retain and develop its historical significance. The management of the park is being addressed by consultations through the Haden Hill Estate Management Group established in 2003 and the production of a management plan. The latter ties in with the Heritage Lottery Restoration award made in 1998.

This grant and other funding programmes will continue to secure the historical significance of the park, develop its relationship with the local community, and extend the range of opportunities. Through the grant and other funding programmes we hope to continue to develop the park to meet the needs of all sections of the community. Our commitment to this has already been recognised by the local community, through the lottery restoration project.

The management of Parks and Countryside Service throughout the Borough is an integral part of developing a sustainable landscape within Cultural Services of Sandwell. The provision of free access to green space is considered essential to the health and well being of all residents and Visitors. The Council has recognised this in our revised Parks and Green Spaces Strategy 2009.

Our parks and countryside including Haden Hill are the ‘Green Lungs’ that counteract the environmental problems associated with the heartland of the Black Country, provide a haven for active and passive recreation, whilst the smaller green areas and landscape improve the aesthetic value of the urban environment and improve the quality of life.

The continuing restoration of Haden Hill Park is important not only for the social and ecological environment but also because it takes it’s place in reversing the trend of decline in Britain’s Parks that is documented in the final report published in 2002 of the Urban Green Spaces Task Force entitled “Green Spaces Better Places” and the recently formed CABE Commission for the Built Environment.