Broadhurst Park (public park)
Broadhurst Park is a large municipal park in Moston, a district of Manchester, England. It occupies approximately 80 acres.
History
[edit]The land was donated to Manchester City Council by Sir Edward Tootal Broadhurst, a local cotton manufacturer, in gratitude for Manchester's efforts in the First World War. Sir Edward gave the land for use as playing fields and a park. The land was conveyed to the Council in June 1920. [1][2]
Description
[edit]The area has three parts:
- Broadhurst Park, at the north end of the site, is a formally laid out park, containing a bowling green, basketball court and playground.
- Broadhurst Playing Fields are large public playing fields to the west of the park, on the other side of Lightbowne Road.
- Broadhurst Clough is a more natural area at the southern end of the site.
Some of this area was leased by the council to local football club F.C. United of Manchester for use as a stadium of the same name and playing fields. The stadium was completed in 2015 following a controversial planning decision.[3][4][5]
The remaining part of the Clough is a good place to walk and experience nature. Areas of grass and woodlandj, including a wetland, with over one hundred species of wildflowers. A dipping pond also hosts dragonflies. Dean Brook, a tributary of Moston Brook, runs through part of the site in a steep ravine ("clough" is a local dialect word for a steep-sided, wooded valley).
The site is part of the Irk Valley Project[6] Broadhurst Clough was designated a Site of Biological Importance (SBI)[7] by the Greater Manchester Ecology Unit because of the rare wetland habitat.[8]
The area includes the site of the former Moston Hall, which was the subject of an archaeological dig in 2003/5 by the Dig Manchester project.[9]
The local Friends Group, The Friends of Broadhurst Park[10] organises a summer festival in Broadhurst Fields and nature events including a bioblitz and pond dipping.
References
[edit]- ^ Friends of Broadhurst: History
- ^ Broadhurst Clough: The Journey So Far
- ^ Offside!: Moston residents in bid to block FC United stadium bid". Manchester Evening News (M.E.N. Media
- ^ "War of words as Moston split by FC United stadium bid". Manchester Evening News (M.E.N. Media). 23 July 2011
- ^ "Challenge on FC United's Moston Community Stadium rejected". Manchester Evening News. 20 March 2013 Retrieved 19 July 2015
- ^ Irk River Valley Project: Broadhurst Clough
- ^ Site of Biological Importance
- ^ Greater Manchester Ecology Unit
- ^ Friends of Broadhurst: History
- ^ Friends of Broadhurst: Events