I love living in the southern suburbs of Birmingham, so much so that it’s all too easy to stay put! But recently a group of friends and I packed a picnic and headed out of town on our bikes, determined to explore the beautiful Midlands countryside that surrounds our bustling city.

We set off towards Belbroughton, twelve miles away! We travelled through beautiful Frankley, past the reservoir and alongside the Frankley Beeches – which are in the care of National Trust. The journey was hilly, but what goes up, must come down and whizzing downhill with the cold air rushing past my face was such an amazing feeling and definitely my favourite part! When we reached Belbroughton we sat on the village green under a big tree (perfect for climbing, we later found) and shared our picnic, feeling rather smug about the distance we’d achieved.

On the way home we went up through the beautiful Clent Hills. The views were amazing. Then it was downhill, with the last four miles taking us through many South Birmingham parks. It wasn’t easy cycling all that way on my creaky Raleigh, but it was such a nice feeling being out in the fresh air on an adventure. Venturing into the countryside is definitely going to become a more regular thing!

Image courtesy of Chris Hudson Photographs on Flickr