The Friday Photo: Sutton Park

Not a building or a monument, Sutton Park is still a historic treasure. The largest urban park in Europe, Sutton Park’s history can be traced back at least to Roman times and there is a Roman road running through it that dates back to the 1st century AD. It is mentioned in the Doomsday book and throughout its extensive history it has been a mediaeval deer park and place to fish, a place for the people of Sutton Coldfield to put their animals out to pasture and to provide wood for fuel. In the 19th century it was used for military training. It is an oasis of calm in a busy city and particularly beautiful at this time of year.