Brierley Forest Park

Brierley Forest Park was developed as a Country Park between 1992 and 2000, to provide footpath, cycling and horse riding networks through a series of plantation woodlands, hay meadows, water bodies, streams and wetland areas. An accessible circular route is provided from the visitor centre to Brierley Waters, the main pond within the park. Originally the site of Sutton Colliery, the park has been transformed into a valuable wildlife haven with nature walks covering over two miles. The Park also provides recreation facilities such as a football pitch, children's play area, a sculpture trail, visitor centre and angling facilities. The centre offers refreshments, exhibitions and information and is run by volunteers through the Brierley Forest Park Trust. The park takes its name from the colliery, known locally as Brierley Pit, after the Staffordshire miners who came from the area of Brierley Hill to sink the pit in the early 1870s. An imposing reclaimed spoil heap known as Rooley Tops occupies most of the eastern and central parts of the site with an intervening patchwork of long-established fields with mature hedgerows. A wide variety of wildlife now flourishes, within the varied habitats, amongst which are four SINCS sites (Sites of interest for Nature Conservation). A large population of skylarks nest on the spoil tip and other residents include foxes, owls, meadow pipits and lapwings.