New Hall Valley Country Park is a country park located in New Hall Valley between Walmley and Wylde Green in the Sutton Coldfield area of north Birmingham. It is the first new country park in the UK for over a decade. The park is split into "phases".
It was created in 2005 by Birmingham City Council with funding raised from the release of land for the New Hall Manor Estate development and formally opened on August 29, 2005.
The park covers over 160 acres (0.6 km²) of designated green belt land to the south east of Sutton Park, including ancient woodland, historic wetland grazing meadows, former farmland, and part of Plants Brook. It borders on a number of privately owned listed buildings including the 17th century Grade II listed New Hall Mill, a corn mill. This is one of only two working water mills surviving in Birmingham water mills in Birmingham, with the other being Sarehole Mill in Hall Green. It has been restored and is open to the public on certain days or by prior arrangement. Bishop Walsh Catholic School borders the land, with the school's playing fields running adjacent for nearly 1.5 miles.
The park also includes a network of cycle routes and footpaths (52°33′03″N 1°48′25″W / 52.550930°N 1.806816°W / 52.550930; -1.806816, a plant nursery, a nature conservation site and two play areas for children.
The park is crossed by Wylde Green Road, which links Walmley and Wylde Green at either end. This road was crossed by a ford until around 1967.
Coppers Wood, the ancient woodland in the park, is under threat of being destroyed due to concerns that its trees, which are Crack Willow, may fall onto people using the paths that have been driven through them.
Famous quotes containing the words hall, valley, country and/or park:
“For a hundred and fifty years, in the pasture of dead horses,
roots of pine trees pushed through the pale curves of your ribs,
yellow blossoms flourished above you in autumn, and in winter
frost heaved your bones in the ground—old toilers, soil makers:
O Roger, Mackerel, Riley, Ned, Nellie, Chester, Lady Ghost.”
—Donald Hall (b. 1928)
“All the Valley quivered one extended motion, wind
undulating on mossy hills”
—Allen Ginsberg (b. 1926)
“Who can live in heart so glad
As the merry country lad?”
—Nicholas Breton (1542–1626)
“Borrow a child and get on welfare.
Borrow a child and stay in the house all day with the child,
or go to the public park with the child, and take the child
to the welfare office and cry and say your man left you and
be humble and wear your dress and your smile, and don’t talk
back ...”
—Susan Griffin (b. 1943)