Himley Park is a 180-acre landscaped park around an 18th-century hall, redesigned by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, in the village of Himley near Dudley. This guide covers opening hours, admission, transport and parking, accessibility, and other practical visitor tips.
This guide was checked against the official Himley Hall & Park website in June 2026. One point worth flagging: Himley Hall is no longer open for casual walk-in visits; the building is now used for exhibitions and private bookings such as weddings, and visitors should contact the Hall directly for current opening information.
Quick facts
| Opening hours | Park daily 7.30am–dusk; Coffee Lounge 9.30am–3pm weekdays, 9.30am–4pm weekends and school holidays |
| Admission | Free to the park; Himley Hall is open for bookings only |
| Address | Himley Hall & Park, Himley, Dudley, West Midlands DY3 4DF |
| Nearest transport/parking | Bus 15 (Stourbridge–Wolverhampton) on the A449; pay-and-display car park on site |
| Typical time needed | 1.5–3 hours |
Himley Park opening hours
The park is open daily from 7.30am until dusk, all year round.
The South Wing Coffee Lounge, inside Himley Hall, serves takeaway refreshments from 9.30am to 3pm on weekdays, extending to 4pm on weekends and during school holidays. Himley Hall itself is not open for general walk-in visits outside of scheduled exhibitions and events; contact the Hall on 01384 817817 for current access.
Himley Park admission and parking charges
Admission to the park is free.
| Parking | Price |
|---|---|
| Up to 2 hours | £3.60 |
| All day | £4.70 |
| Blue Badge holders | Free |
Opening hours and charges were checked on the official website and last updated in June 2026.
Car park season tickets can be bought from the South Wing Coffee Lounge for regular visitors. Himley Park is not part of any multi-attraction city pass; admission is free regardless, with the only cost being parking.
How to get to Himley Park
Himley Park is roughly 4 miles from Dudley town centre on the B4176, and about 6 miles from Wolverhampton just off the A449.
The number 15 bus, running between Stourbridge and Wolverhampton, stops on the A449, around 200 metres from the park gates; the Hall itself is then a further 1km walk through the park. Drivers should use postcode DY3 4DF.
Parking at Himley Park
Parking is pay-and-display, at £3.60 for up to two hours or £4.70 for the full day.
Blue Badge holders can park free of charge on production of a valid badge. Season tickets, useful for regular visitors, are available to buy from the South Wing Coffee Lounge.
How long to spend at Himley Park
Most visitors spend 1.5 to 3 hours walking the parkland, lake, and play area.
A shorter visit of under an hour suits a quick walk or coffee stop, while those combining a walk with the play area, the Fairy 50 trail, or a fishing session should allow longer.
Accessibility at Himley Park
The park’s paths are mostly level and suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs, though some woodland trails have a natural, uneven surface.
An accessible toilet is available in the white building to the rear of the Hall, with baby changing facilities there and in the Coffee Lounge. Some fishing platforms on the Great Pool are designed for disabled anglers; contact the Park Warden for access through the barrier.
Inside Himley Park: what to see
The 180-acre parkland was redesigned from 1774 by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown for the Ward family, including the creation of the Great Pool, a new carriage approach, and scattered clumps of trees that still define the landscape today.
Himley Hall, a Palladian-style building begun in 1740 and substantially remodelled in the 1820s, served as a royal weekend retreat in the 1930s; the Duke and Duchess of Kent spent the first two weeks of their honeymoon there in 1934.
A brand-new woodland play area, completed after a £500,000 investment, includes a large play tower, spiral slide, zip line, rotating carousels, and a separate toddlers’ section, set among the park’s mature trees.
The Fairy 50 trail runs all year, challenging children to find 50 hidden fairy doors using map coordinates, with activity sheets available from the Coffee Lounge; seasonal trails, such as dinosaur and princess-and-pirate themes, run during school holidays.
The Great Pool itself is a long-standing coarse fishing water, though it operates as a members-only syndicate for adults living in the Dudley borough, rather than offering casual day tickets.
Practical visitor tips
| Tip | Detail |
|---|---|
| Timing | Visit on a weekday morning for a quieter walk around the lake and parkland. |
| Crowds | School holidays bring the busiest crowds, especially around the play area. |
| Layout | The play area sits behind the Hall, while the lake and main walks spread out to the west and south. |
| Entry process | No tickets are required for the park; simply arrive and park up. |
| On-site logistics | Bring coins or a card for the pay-and-display machine, as the Coffee Lounge also sells season tickets. |
Frequently asked questions about Himley Park
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is Himley Park suitable for children? | Yes, with a new woodland play area and year-round trails such as the Fairy 50. |
| Do you need to book tickets in advance for Himley Park? | No, the park is free and open access; only Himley Hall itself requires booking. |
| Is Himley Park open on Sundays? | Yes, the park is open every day, including Sundays, from 7.30am until dusk. |
| Are dogs allowed at Himley Park? | Yes, except in the designated no-dog zone near the entrance, which is suspended each winter from 1 November to 31 March. |
| Is there an entrance fee for Himley Park? | No, the park itself is free; only parking and Himley Hall bookings carry a charge. |
Things to do near Himley Park
- Red House Glass Cone – a historic glassworks beside the Stourbridge Canal, around 15–20 minutes away.
- Dudley Zoo and Castle – a zoo set around a ruined medieval castle, a short drive away in Dudley.
- Black Country Living Museum – an open-air museum of the region’s industrial history, also close to Dudley.
- Baggeridge Country Park – a former colliery site turned country park, immediately neighbouring Himley.
- Dudley Canal Trust and Tunnel Trips – underground boat trips through old limestone workings, a short drive away.
What to visit tomorrow
- Witley Court and Gardens, Worcestershire – around 45 minutes away; the Earls of Dudley’s later home, now an English Heritage ruin with a famous fountain.
- Hagley Hall, Worcestershire – around 25 minutes away; a Georgian stately home still lived in by the Lyttelton family, set in parkland.
- Croome, Worcestershire – around 45 minutes away; a National Trust estate and Capability Brown’s first complete landscape design.
- Weston Park, Shropshire – around 35–40 minutes away; a stately home and gardens with extensive parkland walks.
- Chillington Hall, Staffordshire – around 30 minutes away; a Georgian country house with Capability Brown-landscaped grounds, open on selected days.
More West Midlands travel
Other West Midlands travel guides on Planet Whitley include:
- Visitor tips for Stokesay Castle in Shropshire.
- What you need to know before visiting Buildwas Abbey in Shropshire.
- What to see at Wroxeter Roman City in Shropshire – one of the best Roman sites in Britain for visitors.
- Go behind bars at Shrewsbury Prison in Shropshire.
- Key information for visiting Goodrich Castle in Herefordshire.
