This was a visit to Senneleys Park in Bartley Green, during December 2016. Mainly to find a sculpture that I heard about. Got the no 22 bus here (the route no longer exists but there is the X22 elsewhere in Birmingham). Remains of a Pyramid by Avtarjeet Dhanjal was what I came to see. But it was missing a bronze statue or figure.

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Senneleys Park in Bartley Green





This was a visit to Senneleys Park in Bartley Green, during December 2016. Mainly to find a sculpture that I heard about. Got the no 22 bus here (the route no longer exists but there is the X22 elsewhere in Birmingham). Remains of a Pyramid by Avtarjeet Dhanjal was what I came to see. But it was missing a bronze statue or figure.


Senneleys Park is a large green space in south west Birmingham. There is football pitches, an outdoor gym and a BMX track. Large green areas, and a tree lined brook.

In December 2016 I got the no 22 bus to Stonehouse Lane and got into the park from Mill Lane. This is the Bartley Brook.

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First look at the playground below an electricity pylon. It was not that far from the Bartley Brook.

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One of the old Birmingham City Council - Senneleys Park signs from the Department of Recreation and Community Services. Looking quite worn at the time. It was near Stonehouse Lane.

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View of the Bartley Brook with an electricity pylon to the left and a path to walk up on the right.

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This path for some reason had these wooden frames as you pass down it. But then again it is also a road for vehicles to go down. Such as cars to the car park, or council park maintenance vehicles. There is at least two car parks in this park.

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Slide seen in the Senneleys Park Play Area.

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This path is part of the BMX track.

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On top of the hill, the grass was a little overgrown here. There are paths that circle this hilly area.

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There was another playground in the park called the Senneleys Meadow Play Area. With another slide for kids to use, and this swinging tyre ride thing.

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This was what I came to Senneleys Park to see. Remains of a Pyramid by Avtarjeet Dhanjal. It was made around 1989 to 1991. It used to have a bronze statue figure with it, but it either got stolen, or went into storage due to vandalism. The broken pyramid pieces were made from Portland stone, but is quite weathered now after over 25 years. Who knows how it has fared in the years since I last saw it (4 years ago).

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Another view of Remains of a Pyramid. The lost statue I think used to be somewhere in the middle between the parts of the pyramid. Wonder what happened to it?

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It was a small booklet that I once bought from the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery that led me to find this sculpture. Public Art in Birmingham (priced only 50p from the BM & AG Gift Shop). There is a photo in the booklet showing the statue leaning against the right side of the pyramid. The booklet says the bronze figure was modelled from a former pupil of nearby Hillcrest School. It was cast by Frank Forster. Near where the Portland stone was discoloured a bit.

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Another photo shows Eleonor McFarlane posing with the statue as it was being made. She was the model used by the sculptor Avtarjeet Dhanjal.

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Scans taken from the BM & AG booklet Public Art in Birmingham produced in August 1993 by the Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery.

I saw this dead tree in the park.

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A gull on the grass.

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A crow on the lawn.

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One of the paths in the park. A bench to sit on.

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A footbridge over a path. Close to Senneleys Skate Park.

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Welcome to Senneleys Skate Park. The usual ramps and walls with graffiti all over.

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A basketball court.

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A boarded up building. Not sure what it was used for, but it has had a lot of graffiti on it over the years.

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This time I was close to Senneleys Meadow Play Area and got a close up look at the slide as it curved round to the left.

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The lawn with trees. A big field seen from a path.

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One last look at the large field in Senneleys Park. A view like this could be in the countryside, but it is within the City of Birmingham! And if you look on Google Maps, the park is surrounded by streets of houses.

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Took my exit from the park via this car park near Overfield Road. Welcome to Senneleys Park. The max height for cars was 1.95m under this gated entrance.

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The park is close to Bartley Reservoir, Woodgate Valley Country Park and Lodge Hill Cemetery. Looking on Google Maps there is some other green spaces to explore (not right now though of course). One green space marked on Google Maps as Green Hill. There is also Old Quarry Park. So many green spaces around Birmingham. One day I might check them out (when everything is back to normal that is).

 

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

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Birmingham We Are People with Passion award winner 2020