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:
“This is a Senate of equals, of men of individual honor and personal character, and of absolute independence. We know no masters, we acknowledge no dictators. This is a hall for mutual consultation and discussion; not an arena for the exhibition of champions.”
—Daniel Webster (1782–1852)
“As I went forth early on a still and frosty morning, the trees looked like airy creatures of darkness caught napping; on this side huddled together, with their gray hairs streaming, in a secluded valley which the sun had not penetrated; on that, hurrying off in Indian file along some watercourse, while the shrubs and grasses, like elves and fairies of the night, sought to hide their diminished heads in the snow.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“When all my five and country senses see,”
—Dylan Thomas (1914–1953)
“and the words never said,
And the ominous, ominous dancing ahead.
We sat in the car park till twenty to one
And now I’m engaged to Miss Joan Hunter Dunn.”
—Sir John Betjeman (1906–1984)