'I visited Birmingham's secret garden and found a calming oasis away from the busy city streets'

In the midst of Birmingham’s busy Christmas period, with plenty travelling to the city for the wonderful Christmas markets, ice skating and general cosy atmosphere.

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It can get easy to get lost in the sea of visitors and locals, enjoying the fun Christmas spirits and atmosphere.

On this occasion, I was desperate to find some solace and greenery that I could enjoy in the middle of a dreary day.

Then I remembered, the Library of Birmingham’s secret garden.

As I child, I was a huge fan of the children’s novel, The Secret Garden, written by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

In the story, the character Mary Lennox finds a gorgeous secret garden in the house she’s staying in.

But did you know that Birmingham has its very own garden? Here, you can realise your childlike imagination. Only, this garden is located on the 7th floor of the Library of Birmingham.

To get there, I had to take a few escalators, and some stairs - though there is a lift available for those who need it.

Once, I climbed up to the garden, I was pleasantly surprised. I usually make the effort to visit during the summer months. Though on this occasion, even in the winter it still looked lovely and one advantage it was less busy than usual.

I marvelled at Birmingham’s amazing skyline, which now includes Birmingham's tallest building - The Octagon.

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I didn’t stay for very long, as it was pretty cold from the winter chill and also windy as I was pretty high up in the sky.

While, this garden is known as the library’s secret garden, there’s also another terrace that you can definitely enjoy too that’s on the Library’s 3rd floor.

Take a look below at what you can find at The Secret Garden, The Library of Birmingham: