Forget what you’ve heard. Do go chasing waterfalls. Whether it’s the soothing sound of a flowing river. The tingly sensation of its spray on your skin. Or the awe-striking sight of cascading water off a cliff’s edge. It’s a magical experience like no other. Escape into the country for a hiking trail that takes you to some of the most wonderful waterfalls near Birmingham, all tucked away in truly breathtaking natural spots.
1. Slitting Mill Waterfall
If you do decide to go chasing waterfalls from Birmingham, Cannock Chase may be the place to start. Discover the Slitting Mill Waterfall on the outskirts of Rugeley. It may be small and hidden, but it’s well worth seeking out. This stunning waterfall, which flows beneath a stone bridge, has become a popular tourist destination for waterfall enthusiasts.
Slitting Mill Waterfall is about 45 minutes from Birmingham by car.
2. Leasowes Park
Don’t expect the UK’s answer to Niagara Falls at Leasowes Park in Halesowen. But the cascading steps of this historic park are still special in their own right. Filled with woodlands and meadows, streams and natural springs, pools and, yes, waterfalls, it’s a nature lover’s haven here—bursting with lively flora and fauna.
The Leasowes is a 25-minute drive from Birmingham.
3. Lumsdale Waterfall
For huge flowing waterfalls near Birmingham, head towards Matlock in Derbyshire. The Lumsdale Valley was once the height of water-powered industrialisation in Britain—with its water-powered mills fuelled by Bentley Brook in the 17th century. This brook still feeds Lumsdale Waterfall to this day. Keep an eye out for the Wishing Stone on your walk!
Lumsdale Valley is an hour and a half drive from Birmingham.
4. Ombersley Waterfall
Next to Ombersley Cricket Ground, one of the West Midlands’ best waterfalls is ‘hidden’ along a public footpath. You’ll find the pathway nearby, just before the cricket club, from the village, and follow it towards the woodlands. Keep right and at the end discover Worcestershire’s waterfall.
Ombersley Cricket Ground takes 45 minutes to drive from Birmingham.
5. Wordsley Waterfall
The Black Country’s ‘secret waterfall’ is more of a weir than anything else; some say it’s not a waterfall at all, but we’re not complaining. Stroll along the River Stour from Stourbridge for a gentle, all-season hike and decide for yourself
Wordsley Waterfall is a 45-minute drive from Birmingham.
6. Badger Dingle Waterfall
With thatched cottages and a village green, Badger is just like any other quintessential chocolate box village, except for one thing… it has its own waterfall. The nearby Dingle is full of wooded walks, peaceful ponds and one of the most calming falls for miles to experience near Birmingham.
Badger is less than an hour from Birmingham.
7. Lyde Waterfall
People online say it’s best to visit Telford’s Lyde Waterfall after rainfall, but it’s still a magical experience even if it isn’t flowing quite like you’d expect. With its otherworldly, uneven terrain, however, it can be a short yet difficult climb to get to.
Lyde Waterfall is an hour from Birmingham by car.
8. Rolleston Waterfall
Once part of the large Mosley estate, Brook Hollows sits at the heart of Rolleston-on-Dove—comprising an ornamental woodland edging a series of lakes with a manmade waterfall, which flows into the Alderbrook.
Brook Hollows takes less than an hour to get to from Birmingham.
9. Lightspout Waterfall
The heather-covered hills of Carding Mill Valley stretch for thousands of acres, but it’s also home to one of the most beautiful waterfalls near Birmingham. Come for the four-metre cascade of Lightspout Waterfall, but stay for the wildlife-rich heathland—with its unique landscape, rare plants and abundance of birds.
Lightspout Waterfall is a 1.5-hour drive from Birmingham.
10. Pistyll Rhaeadr Waterfall
When it comes to waterfalls, Wales is home to hundreds of them (more on that later), and one of the closest to Birmingham is Pistyll Rhaeadr in the Berwyn Mountains. Just over 80 metres, it is Britain’s tallest waterfall and will amaze all who visit. Stop by Tan-y-Pistyll (“little house under the waterfall”) for tea and cake after.
Pistyll Rhaeadr is a two-hour drive from Birmingham.
11. Padley Gorge
Whether you’re after a picturesque picnic or a hike through the Peak District, Padley Gorge has it all—including beautiful waterfalls everywhere you look! Two hours from Birmingham, this Derbyshire day trip proves to be popular all year round for its gentle streams, tumbling waterfalls, and dense woodlands.
Padley Gorge is two hours from Birmingham by car.
12. Three Shires Head
This tripoint, where Cheshire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire meet, once had a lawless reputation where thieves evaded capture by stepping over county boundaries. Today, it’s a lovely, family-friendly spot, where a wonderful waterfall drops below a charming packhorse bridge into shallow pools. Pack a picnic and head off now!
Three Shires Head is less than a two-hour drive from Birmingham.
13. Kinder Downfall
The Kinder Downfall is well-known as the tallest waterfall in the Peak District. Some say that in high winds, this impressive waterfall flows backwards, with the water blown back on itself. Come winter, when it completely freezes over, other people even like to go ice climbing on it! It has to be seen to be believed and is well worth the two-hour drive.
It can take over two hours to drive to Kinder Downfall from Birmingham.
14. Waterfall Country
It’s maybe a touch too far away for many in Birmingham, but the very best place to find waterfalls in Britain is The Vale of Neath, better known as Waterfall Country. It is famous for its HUGE amount of natural water features, with the Four Waterfalls Walk among its most well-known trails.
But Sgwd Yr Eira on the Afon Hepste is also very famous, as you can actually walk behind it. This waterfall, along with the nearby Sgwd Henrhyd waterfall, was used in scenes for Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises for Batman’s iconic hideout, the Batcave. So don’t be surprised if you see a caped crusader running about!
Waterfall Country can take three hours to drive to from Birmingham.