Broadhurst Park (public park) explained

Broadhurst Park is a large municipal park in Moston, a district of Manchester, England. It occupies approximately 80 acres.

History

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

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

53.514°N -2.183°W

Notes and References

1. http://www.friendsofbroadhurst.org.uk/history-2 Friends of Broadhurst: History
2. http://www.manchester.gov.uk/info/500194/irk_river_valley_project/4768/broadhurst_clough/2 Broadhurst Clough: The Journey So Far
3. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/offside-moston-residents-in-bid-to-block-858722 Offside!: Moston residents in bid to block FC United stadium bid". Manchester Evening News (M.E.N. Media
4. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/war-of-words-as-moston-split-by-fc-866266 "War of words as Moston split by FC United stadium bid". Manchester Evening News (M.E.N. Media). 23 July 2011
5. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-21867202 "Challenge on FC United's Moston Community Stadium rejected". Manchester Evening News. 20 March 2013 Retrieved 19 July 2015
6. http://www.manchester.gov.uk/info/500194/irk_river_valley_project/4768/broadhurst_clough Irk River Valley Project: Broadhurst Clough
7. http://www.wildaboutmanchester.info/www/index.php/sites-of-biological-importance Site of Biological Importance
8. http://www.tameside.gov.uk/ecologyunit Greater Manchester Ecology Unit
9. http://www.friendsofbroadhurst.org.uk/history-2 Friends of Broadhurst: History
10. http://www.friendsofbroadhurst.org.uk/ Friends of Broadhurst: Events