The 'magical' Birmingham walk through woods, pretty stream and best' desi pub at the end

While Birmingham may very well be surrounded by an extraordinary number of natural beauty hotspots, you don't have to travel outside of the city to find beautiful green spaces in which to walk and blow away the cobwebs. Less than five miles from the city centre, there's a really wonderful walk, steeped in history and lore, right next to a bostin desi pub where you can refuel on an award-winning mixed grill!

Moseley Bog and Joy's Wood is 11 hectares in size, small enough to explore in depth and big enough to feel like you're far away from the stresses of the inner city. The green spaces, part of the Shire Country Park, are the childhood playgrounds of JRR Tolkien, so you can easily get caught up in tales of Hobbits, Dragons, Elves and Orks as you wonder between the magical, gnarled trees - perfect for playing!

The entrance to Moseley Bog is on Yardley Wood Road and there's a little car park there, with extra space on Windermere Road. From there, you head into the woods, walking on wooden boards over swampy bog that will capture even the most exhausted imagination.

Read more: I went to Birmingham's 'best' desi pub for my first mixed grill and I'm on the bandwagon

Get what's on updates with our daily City Life newsletter here

This map will show you how to navigate the historic park, though deciding which route you want to take at every junction can bring reveal a lot of special sights, including the trickling stream, bluebells, old trees, the old Victorian greenhouses, remnants of the old mill dam and the two burnt mounds.

Burnt mounds are areas containing burnt stones, charcoal and ash near a water source that date back to the Bronze Age (3300 BC to 1200 BC!) and the two at Moseley Bog are listed by Historic England given they're so well-preserved.

From the main entrance, you can walk up through Joy's Wood to the historic clay pits, winding your way through the old wet woodland to the Bog itself. Head onwards to the pond and the old dam before following Coldbath brook up to the burnt mounds.

There are a few viewpoints as you head back towards the main entrance, where a planted wood and created grassland lie alongside a performance area. From there, you can head back through Joy's Wood and on to Yardley Wood Road.

Once you've burnt off all of your energy and you're ready to refuel, you're a stone's throw from the 'best' Desi pub in Birmingham. Wander four minutes up the road and you're at The Covered Wagon.

There you can tuck into curries, Indian snacks and a classic, sizzling mixed grill. Read our review of The Covered Wagon here. Alternatively, head down the Wake Green Road and have a big breakfast at the wonderfully-named Hungry Hobbit cafe!