Walsall Arboretum work is finished after two years
This beautiful aerial picture shows the newly refurbished bandstand at Walsall Arboretum, set against the stunning backdrop of lush greenery and looking out on the clear blue waters of the park lake.
The revamped venue takes pride of place in the tranquil setting following its revamp as part of a £7.6 million upgrade of the park.
Work on the historic bandstand started in the summer of 2011 when it was stripped back as extra ironwork and roof structure improvements were deemed necessary.
Last month, it catered for an afternoon of music as part of the national Our Big Gig events, with the line up including West Midlands Police brass band Aziz playing Asian blues, Leafwing who performed classic rock covers, and Barry Hunt, a guitarist and songwriter.
A Christmas carol concert was also held at the bandstand in December.
The arboretum's new-look lido opened in May following a £250,000 revamp.
The water play feature replaced the original lido, which dates back 60 years.
The landmark boathouse has been restored and boating is expected to return to Hatherton Lake in the future after being stopped for almost two decades. The £200,000 refurbishment of the Edwardian-style Leckie Sons of Rest building at the arboretum has also been carried out and it could be used as a venue for wedding ceremonies in the future.
It opened as a pavilion but became a social club for men in 1936. The transformation included roof repairs and improvements to the building's ornate balcony.
The final phase of the multi-million pound revamp of Walsall Arboretum will involve a new visitor centre.
Work has been delayed but it is thought the visitor centre will be completed by autumn 2014.
It had originally been due to open later this year.
The centre will boast a cafeteria, classroom, offices and new toilet facilities and will be created on the Centre Green.
