Birchmeadow Playing Field Site is a 5.3-hectare (13-acre) recreational area in Broseley, England, consisting of a mixture of woodland, play area, and a football pitch. [1] It was also one of the first places where a wooden railway was built. [2] The site is protected by Fields in Trust through a legal "Deed of Dedication" safeguarding the future of the space as public recreation land for future generations to enjoy. [3]
An ironworks was located on the site which is now called Birchmeadow playing fields. [1] It was served by one of the first railways in England, built in Broseley in 1605 by Richard Wilcox and William Wells. [2] [4] After several weeks, employees of the nearby coalmaster Lord James Clifford vandalised and damaged the railway, possibly due to a rival rift between two coalmasters. [5]
In November 2009 the Birchmeadow Park Management Committee was awarded £115,000 from various grant bodies to improve the park. The grant was spent on a new woodland path, an archway, the resurfacing of the car park, and a new play facility on the site. [1] The park is continuing to be developed and future projects include increasing woodland management, improving the football pitches, improving the changing rooms, and enhancing the landscaping of the park. [1]