The NCB gates in Jubits Lane are a reminder to visitors of the site's heritage

First the heavily compacted soil was prepared for tree planting and habitat creation, a procedure that took two months. Then fifty thousand young trees including alder, willow and ash were planted. A mix of slow and fast-growing trees were chosen by the experts at the Forestry Commission with the two millionth tree in the borough of St.Helens planted on the site in March 2005.

Above left: Aerial view of Sutton Manor on 13th November 2001; Above right on 24th October 2006 with flourishing new woodland - pictures courtesy of Forestry Commission - Click here and here for larger versions

The two aerial images above which look north over Sutton Manor, with the M62in the foreground, reveal how much the woodland had flourished in just five years, through a combination of good soil preparation prior to the planting of the saplings and plenty of rain!

Removing eight miles of rabbit fencing in Sutton Manor in February 2007

An astonishing eight miles of rabbit fencing was used when the tree-planting project began in 2001 in order to protect the young trees from rabbit damage. However, by February 2007, the trees were growing sufficiently for the lengthy process of removing the fencing to begin.

Burnet moths on lucerne on the site in 2009 - contributed by Duncan Macnaughton of the Forestry Commission

There is a remarkable botanical diversity on the site which results in a diverse fauna, including Burnet moths on lucerne. Orchids and other wildflowers also thrive on the site and and the 'poorer' soils which have not been improved for tree planting, result in drifts of yellow trefoils which are a foodplant of burnet moths and common blue butterflies. Some 'escaped' garden flowers add to the interest on the site, such as the blue iris just inside the Main Gate.

The Forestry Commission notices on the site say:

    Welcome to this Forestry Commission community woodland. Until the 1980’s this whole site was a thriving coalmine with huge slag heaps behind it. When the colliery closed the transformation of the site to open parkland took place. Whatever your age there is something here for you. Kick a ball about; gather with your mates at a bench or just stroll through listening to the birds and admiring the wildflowers. Climb the hill to 82m above sea level for fine views. It’s your woodland for you to enjoy. For more information call 01606 882167. 

A path at the woodland's perimeter runs adjacent to the M62 motorway for almost a mile. Despite the constant noise of the motorway, owls can be seen and heard hunting at night and during the day buzzards and kestrels can be observed, as well as rabbits, hares and partridge.

The Manor in March 2006 with a woodland in the background

In November 2006 the Sutton Manor site was added to the six locations throughout the UK which had already been chosen to create and host a work of art as part of the Channel 4 Big Art Project. In June 2009, Jaume Plensa's 'Dream' sculpture was officially opened and is now sited at the apex of the former spoil heap. It's visible for miles around attracting huge numbers of visitors. (See our Making of Dream page)

Unfortunately, the growth of the trees has been so phenomenal that motorists on the adjacent M62 can only view the artwork for a few seconds. So once the 2009 bird nesting season has been completed, the Forestry Commission, who manage the site, will prune back some of the trees to improve visibility. As of November 2009 they've also signalled their intention to make further improvements to the woodland area with repairs planned to pathways and the sowing a hardy grass seed.

As 'Dream' has had such a dramatic impact on the site and thrust Sutton Manor firmly into the limelight, the Forestry Commission are taking a fresh look at how they manage the whole site in order to sustain it as a high quality visitor destination, both now and in the longer term. These are likely to include further improvements to entrances, seating and sight lines for Dream.

A view of the Sutton Manor woodland and 'Dream' across the fields from Warrington Road and the M62 in 2009

As well as the Dream sculpture at the Sutton Manor site, the summer of 2009 also saw the addition of a number of superb new benches which graphically represent the history of the site. These have been courtesy of Sutton Manor Primary School's heritage project in conjunction with artist Bernadette Hughes and the Shining Lights Heritage Group. In November 2009, Marion White of the latter received a nomination in 'The Unseen Hero' category in the 2009 St.Helens Tourism and Leisure Awards. During the same month the Forest Road primary school received an International School Award.

A heritage art trail is also to be unveiled soon, probably in early 2010, which will be another welcome addition to the landscape. You can find out more about the heritage project in this blog post.

One of the benches which commemorate the site's former use as Sutton Manor Colliery, courtesy of a Heritage Lottery grant awarded to the children and teachers of Sutton Manor Primary and the Shining Lights Heritage Group.



Benches designed by children at Sutton Manor Primary School who worked with artist Bernadette Hughes  

Header picture:  Cycling past the pond at Sutton Manor