Sutton Park

Location map
West Midlands
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caption="Sutton Park shown within the West Midlands" (gbmapping|SP1096)

Sutton Park, in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England, is one of the largest urban parks in Europe and the largest outside a capital city; it is smaller than Richmond Park in London, [ [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200102/cmhansrd/vo020207/text/20207w18.htm Written answer to the House of Commons] from the Head of the Royal Parks Service, 7 Feb 2002] but larger than the Phoenix Park in Dublin which both claim to be the largest in Europe.

The Park covers 900.1 hectares (2224.2 acres / 9.0 km²), [ [http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/Media/management%20plan.pdf?MEDIA_ID=175464&FILENAME=management%20plan.pdf Sutton Park Management Plan] , Birmingham City Council, 2002] with a mix of heathland, wetlands and marshes, seven lakes, extensive ancient woodlands (covering approximately a quarter of the Park), several restaurants, a private 18-hole golf course on its western edge and a municipal golf course to the south, a donkey sanctuary, children's playgrounds and a visitors' centre. There is no entrance charge (except on summer Sundays, when there is a parking charge for cars) and a wide range of personal leisure activities are undertaken in the park.

History

Peat-cutting, near Rowton's Well during World War II, recovered flint arrow-heads at the base of the peat. There are some unassuming prehistoric burnt mounds, and an ancient well. The park contains a preserved section of the Icknield Street, a Roman road; the noticeably cambered road enters the Park near the Royal Oak Gate and exits towards the aptly-named Streetly; it is still possible to walk the road. In 1909, two Roman coins were discovered in the park. The Queen's Coppice, planted in 1953, now covers the site of an ancient tumulus, from which a stone 'coffin' was dug out by antiquarians in 1808. Near Blackroot Pool are the earthworks of an ancient encampment, the origin of this is not known - possibly it was a hunting lodge and it may have been Roman, Mercian or Norman (or even all three, over time).

The park was a Royal Forest of Mercia at around the 9th century. By the early 1100s, it was in use as an established Norman deer park. The land was given to the people of Sutton Coldfield by King Henry VIII in 1528 after Bishop John Vesey, a friend of the King, asked for it as a present to the people of Sutton Coldfield. The charcoal burning that took place in the Park is thought to have given Sutton Coldfield the second part of its name.

Wyndley Pool is the oldest in the Park, perhaps dating from the 12th century or even earlier. The house of the Royal Steward sat on the bluff overlooking Wyndley Pool. Keeper's Pool and Bracebridge Pool date from the 15th century. Powell's Pool, Longmoor Pool, and Blackroot date from the 18th century, and were created to run watermills. There was another pool at Boldmere, now outside the park, but this has since vanished.

Most of the Park has been undisturbed since then. The area of Ladywood, at Four Oaks, was taken for housing, but in exchange the Meadow Platt area near the town was added to the Park, thus allowing the construction of a new Park Road access from the town. A rail line, the Sutton Park Line, was built through the Park in 1879 and the Park had its own station. The advent of the railway, and the new town entrance, greatly increased the number of visitors to the Park. The Park's own dedicated station was closed in 1964, and the line now only serves goods trains.

During World War I, convalescent camps were built in the Park. During World War II further camps were built; these were first used for enemy aliens, then for U.S. forces prior to D-Day, and finally for German and Italian prisoners of war.

In 1957, the 50th anniversary of Scouting was celebrated when the 9th World Scout Jamboree was held in the park, with participants from all over the world. The event is commemorated by a short stone pillar in the centre of the park.

Car traffic through the Park was heavily restricted from the 1950s until its takeover by Birmingham City Council in 1974. Thereafter, the Park's pastoral character was much changed due to the free access of cars. By the late 1970s, there were growing problems with litter, erosion, arson, vandalism, motorbikes and road accidents in the Park.

On Sunday 30 August 1992, 100,000 fans attended the BBC Radio 1 biggest ever Roadshow to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Radio 1 with live performances from bands including Del Amitri, Aswad, The Farm and Status Quo. Free buses where provided by Travel West Midlands and a large Radio 1 Air ship floated above the park.

There was a rare 1887 lido, for open-air all-weather swimming, at Keepers Pool. But the lido closed in 2003 after arson, and was burned down entirely in 2004. The Lido area is now being purposely reverted to woodland and wetland.

ports

The park is popular for a number of sports. These include mountain biking, with the "skeleton hill" being popular with downhill bikers. Secondly sailing and canoeing, which take place mainly on Powell's Pool adjacent to "La Reserve" restaurant.

Runners and walkers also make the most of the park and its extensive pathways and trails which are used annually for the Great Midlands Fun Run. 4.5 miles of the route runs through Sutton Park from its entrance at Boldmere Gate to its exit at Four Oaks Gate. There is an 18-hole golf course near to the Streetly Gate entrance to the park.

There is a section of grass sectioned off for the usage of model aeroplanes and helicopters. This is between Boldmere Gate and the Jamboree Stone and can be accessed at most times by car from Banners Gate.

Sutton Park has also been used for motor rallying, and was a popular spectator stage on the Lombard RAC Rally in the 1970s and 1980s.

Current status

In 1997, English Nature designated most of Sutton Park a National Nature Reserve and it features on English Heritage's list of recognised historic parks and gardens. In July 2005, a 20-year 'Keepers of Time' scheme was announced, which will eliminate alien species from ancient woodlands and restore native varieties like oak, ash and beech.

The park is currently managed by Birmingham City Council; but in July 2004 it was announced that control would be devolved to the local councillors for Sutton Coldfield.

The roads have reverted to their previous 'heavily restricted' status. There is still considerable car traffic into and out of the park, mainly of families with children, dog walkers, kite/model aeroplane fliers and other recreational use, including some 'cruising' of local youths in modified vehicles. However, cross-park 'through' traffic is now completely blocked by sturdy gates across the main link roads, similar to the existing gates at all road entrances and exits, that open and close with dusk and dawn. This measure has significantly reduced the use of the park as a rush-hour short-cut (notably between Boldmere and Streetly), with some noticeable impact on congestion of local routes around the Park. The benefit of traffic restriction is improvement in the enjoyability of the park; with cleaner air, safer roads for walkers and cyclists, and much reduced visual and noise pollution, plus reduced wear and tear on the poorly maintained, decaying road surfaces.

Road speed limits through the park have been reduced twice, from 30mph to 20 mph in the 1980s, and to 5mph in 2004. Also, on the pedestrianised areas (areas that used to be roads for cars, but are now closed to vehicles, except for emergency/ranger traffic), many speed bumps have been removed.

The commercial funfair for small children beside Powell's Pool continues to operate, attracting significant business. It offers rides such as a daisy-chained go-kart track ride (with 'spooky' tunnels), and a two-person manually-operated bell-rope pirate ship swings.

There is a Sea Cadets dry-dock training vessel ("the Concrete Corvette") at Boldmere Gate along with the headquarters of the 1st Sutton Coldfield Sea Scouts.

There are now a greater amount of police officers in the park, especially at the main gate, Town Gate. This has helped to stop vandalism and arson attacks on the park, however, some incidents still happen.

In December 2007, the National Cycle Network won £50-million in a public vote. The effect on Sutton Park will be to build [http://www.sustransconnect2.org.uk/schemes/project_detail.php?id=121 the Plants Brook route] that will create a free off-road bicycle path from east Erdington to Sutton Park.

At February 2008, a City Council feasibility study is examining the possibility of once again running passenger trains through the park.

References

External links

* [http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/suttonpark Birmingham City Council pages]
* [http://www.fospa.org/ Friends of Sutton Park Association]
* [http://www.scnhs.org.uk/ Sutton Coldfield Natural History Society]
* [http://www.sp.scnhs.org.uk/ SCNHS Sutton Park pages]
* [http://www.spnh.scnhs.org.uk/ Natural History of Sutton Park]
* [http://www.suttonseascouts.org.uk Sutton Sea Scouts]