Brickfields Woodland in Sutton, St.Helens

a) Introduction to Brickfields

Forestry Commision notice in Brickfields by Ibstock in Sutton, St Helens
BRICKFIELDS is located adjacent to Ibstock Brick Works and the Cory Lord St.Helens landfill site between Chester Lane, Walkers Lane and Lea Green Road in Sutton. It's very much work in progress as a site of natural beauty with its 40 hectacres of green open space set for considerable improvement during 2008.

In the Spring of 2006, Forestry Commission scientists assessed the site's suitability as a potential woodland. Both soil and water sampling took place and successfully passed all the scientific tests. The land currently consists of some neglected woodland, scrub and grassland and the intention is to create new woodland, wildflower areas and other habitats to expand Brickfields' biodiversity.

Walking the dog in Brickfields by Ibstock brickworks in Sutton, St Helens
Dog walkers are presently the main users of Brickfields

b) History of Brickfields in Sutton, St.Helens

It was important for scientists in 2006 to thoroughly sample the site due to its past use. Brickfields consists of tracts of disused land comprising the old Sutton Manor Sewage Works, Sutton Manor Colliery Railway and a number of former quarries and landfills. These are Roughdales Quarry, Buff Quarry, Daisyfield and Red Quarry. The current landfill operations at Cory Lord St.Helens are expected to come into the scheme once filling operations end there.

ordnance survey map of 1849 of brickfields, st.helens
Surveys of the site which were conducted between 1808 and 1840 described the land as five fields that were part of a tenement associated with Big Lea Green Farm to the north. Two of the field names - 'Mill Hey' and 'Damstead' - suggest an association with a mill site, although the location of the mill is uncertain. Another field was named 'Clay Hey', which suggests that clay extraction was or had been taking place in the vicinity.

By the mid-nineteenth century, the brick and tile works of the Roughdales Fire Clay Pottery Company were established on land to the east of the site.

Ordnance survey maps of 1891 and 1907 indicate an expansion of brick and tile works and associated clay pits. By 1925 a brick field occupied much of the central eastern part of the site and by 1956 there had been much expansion to the east
(known as Daisyfield) and in the south-east. By 1982 clay extraction had been so extensive that the majority of the site was recorded as a disused brick pit.

chemical waste sign, brickfields st.helens
The nearby Sutton Manor Colliery opened in 1901 and a railway connecting it to the Liverpool to Manchester line soon traversed the south-west corner of the Brickfields site. The embankments of the railway are all that remains with the pit itself closing in 1991. There are few remnants of the site's past still in existence but this sign (right) located towards the north, does remind us why scientific sampling had to take place.

Like the railway, the
Sutton Manor Sewage Works were located in the south-west of the site but became disused by 1982.

c) Brickfields in Sutton, St.Helens as it is now

Cory Lord St.Helens landfill
Looking out to the northwest of the site and the Cory Lord St.Helens landfill

Currently the site is little more than open fields with woodland, scrub and grassland crossed by the Pendlebury / Sutton Brook and populated in the main by dog walkers and rabbits. Tree species are fairly diverse and include hawthorn, alder, willow, birch, oak, ash, field maple, sycamore, holly, hazel, dogwood, viburnum and rose. Via the aptly-named Walkers Lane, Brickfields connects to the King George V playing fields (aka Sutton Manor Park) and then over Jubits Lane to the Sutton Manor Woodland, making for a very pleasant walk.

Stone in Brickfields by Ibstock brickworks in Sutton, St Helens
Sculptured stones in the centre of the Brickfields site

A particular feature of interest in Brickfields are the sculptured stones in the elevated centre of the site. There are no benches yet so the largest stone (pictured above) acts both as a place of rest and as a vantage point for observing the landfill operations to the north-west of the site, which regularly attract hundreds of gulls.

Goldfinch in Brickfields by Ibstock brickworks in Sutton, St Helens
A goldfinch adding some colour to Brickfields in St.Helens

d) Brickfields Community Woodland Plans

In August 2007 forty documents were submitted to St.Helens Council by the Forestry Commission and their partners as part of a planning application for Brickfields Community Woodland that will create new woodland, wildflower areas and other habitats. (You can access them HERE and the 28 page Forest Design Plan (.pdf).

An aerial view of Brickfields, Sutton, St.Helens.
An aerial view of Brickfields in, Sutton, St.Helens - click for a larger view

The plans include several walking and cycling trails, bridges, nature areas and an eye-catching hill top feature that's intended to become a focal point for the site. Benches will be provided for walkers to take a break There will be "active management of habitats" as well as “enhanced recreation provision” plus new access routes with entrances secured by kissing gates that are intended to exclude motorbikes. The area will only become accessible from two large public entrances on its east and west sides, i.e. Chester Lane and Lea Green Road.

The list of tree, shrub and hedgerow species for planting is quite comprehensive and includes
English Oak, Silver Birch, Rowan, Ash, Hazel, Wild Cherry, Hawthorn, Holly, Yew, Field Maple, Scots Pine, Dog Rose, Blackthorn, Common Buckthorn, Broom and Wayfaring Tree. A full list can be viewed HERE.

plan of Brickfields Community Woodland
An artist's impression of the Brickfields project - click for a larger view


The North West Development Agency are providing £2.1 million of regeneration funding to transform the site, with cash also coming Biffaward, a multi-million pound environment fund managed by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts. An additional £302,976 has been awarded through the Integrated Countryside and Environment Plan (ICEP), which is being delivered by Mersey Forest.

The work on the site is now well underway. When completed the stakeholders envisage
Brickfields becoming a valuable area of green space for Sutton locals and visitors to enjoy. This website will be keenly monitoring the project's progress.

Brickfields construction site
PLEASE NOTE - March 2008

Whilst the Woodland construction work is taking place, Brickfields is not accessible to the public.

Completion of the work is expected in March 2009.

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