Martineau Gardens
BEST FOR
Ages 3-10
ENTRY
Free
SETTING
Outdoors
WHERE
Birmingham
What it’s like
A woodland garden with a shipwreck play area and a Stick Man trail to hunt down, free to wander round.
The main pull here is the shipwreck play area tucked into the woodland, plus a Stick Man Trail with activity packs to keep a three-year-old busy hunting for clues while an older sibling investigates the wildlife habitats. There are demonstration vegetable beds, an orchard, herb beds and bee hives dotted about too, so it's more of a proper working garden than a manicured park, which is either charming or a bit scruffy depending on your mood that day.
Entry itself is free, which is rare enough to mention twice. Paid activities, like the Autumn Half Term sessions at £8.50 a child, run for around two hours and are worth building your visit around if you're going in the school holidays. Mon to Sat, 10am to 4pm, and closed Sundays and bank holidays, so don't turn up on a Sunday expecting the gates open.
Food is the one to plan for. There's no café and no food sales, just hot and cold drinks from the Pavilion on a donations basis, so bring a picnic and eat it wherever you fancy since picnics are welcome throughout the gardens. There's a small car park on site, and it's a walkable fifteen minutes from Five Ways Station if you fancy the bus route instead.
Being an outdoor site, parts of it can get properly muddy after rain, and the facts admit some bits are only accessible to the determined once the weather turns. Bring boots you don't mind ruining and it's fine.
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- 3 to 10, the shipwreck area and trail suit younger explorers
- Parking
- Small carpark on site
- How long to allow
- 2-hour session for paid activities
- Food
- Hot and cold drinks served from the Pavilion (donations welcomed), no café or food sales
- Picnics
- Welcome throughout the gardens
- Getting there by bus or train
- Five Ways Station (15 min walk or bus), or New Street Station (15 min bus to Gardens)
- Bring cash or a card for drinks donations at the Pavilion, since there's no food sold
- Closed Sundays and bank holidays, including Friday 17th July 2026
- Picnics are welcome anywhere in the gardens
- Wear boots that can handle mud if it's been raining
Plan your visit
Is it free to get in?
Yes, entry is free. Paid activities like the Autumn Half Term sessions are extra, around £8.50 a child.
What are the opening hours?
Monday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm. Closed on Sundays and bank holidays.
Do we need to book?
There's no booking link listed, so it looks like a turn up and explore sort of place, though paid sessions may need arranging on the day.
Is there anywhere to eat?
Café or food sales, just hot and cold drinks from the Pavilion on a donations basis. Picnics are welcome throughout the gardens.
Is it suitable for a toddler?
The shipwreck play area and Stick Man Trail suit ages around 3 to 10, so a toddler will get plenty out of it with a bit of help.
How long do people stay?
Paid activity sessions run for about two hours. A free wander could easily fill a morning or afternoon.
Is there parking?
There's a small car park on site.
What if it rains?
It's an outdoor garden, and parts of it can get muddy or harder to reach in wet weather.
How do we get there without a car?
It's about a fifteen minute walk or bus ride from Five Ways Station, or a fifteen minute bus from New Street Station.
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