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OXLEY PARK (OZ/ES01) Click here to see preliminary management plan for the site Click here to see species lists for this site General Information (click to see a GIS derived map of Oxley Park)SK26009830 Ownership Sheffield
City Council Leisure Services Size 10.5
hectares (1,612m perimeter) Designation(s) Green
Belt. A small portion to the north has been
designated part of New Hall Wood ANHI (probably in
error) Access Full
public access. Public rights of way No 48, 45 and
23 run through the site. Classification B3 Importance Largest
piece of recreational open space in Stocksbridge
that includes formal playground facilities and
three football pitches (one with pavilion). There
is also an allotment site on the eastern side of
site and Stocksbridge Leisure Centre is to the
north. Therefore, a very important community
facility for sport and recreation (including dog
walking). Ecological importance is also significant
on fields where only mowing takes place. Habitats
and flora are very diverse for such a
site. Date
Surveyed 25
February 2000 1. 2.
Survey informationLargest
area of recreational open space in Stocksbridge and
Deepcar. History Oxley
Park was named after Thomas Oxley, who at the
beginning of the twentieth century owned a large
fruit farm on part of this site, growing
blackcurrants, gooseberries, plums, damsons and
other soft fruits. He donated land (over 30 acres)
that now bears his name for the creation of a park
and recreation ground for the people of
Stocksbridge in 1921. The steel works (Samuel Fox
and Co.) took on the landscaping and management of
the park and such features as the rhododendrons
along the 'ash track' date from this time. A major
landscaping project that developed the western side
into a series of stepped recreational fields was
undertaken in the 1960s. Around 1993-94 small areas
of the park were planted with shrubs and trees by
the then Stocksbridge Steel Valley
Project. Topography Gently
north facing. The western part of the site consists
of three plateaux landscaped as part of landfill
operations in the 1950s. Western margin of this
area forms the eastern valley slope of New Hall
Wood. Recreation
and Use Dog
walking occurs all the time. Informal play and
formal (using playground) by kids occurs mainly in
the late spring and summer. Football pitches are in
use during weekends in the winter months.
Present
Management Grass
areas are mown quite frequently. Some parts such as
Juncus area in the eastern part (parallel
with Footpath number 45) are not mown at all. Wet
meadow in this area is allowed to develop over
spring and summer. Some tree planting has taken
place in the past (in three areas). 3. 4. Plant CommunitiesCommunity General
Description Characteristic
Species Community
A Tall
herb Urtica
dioica, Arrhenatherium elatius, Chamerion
angustifolium, Epilobium hirsutum, Heracleum
sphondylium, Centaurea nigra Community
B Scrub Sorbus
aucuparia, Sambucus nigra, Betula
pendula Community
C Woodland
Alnus
glutinosa, Acer pseudoplatanus, Betula pendula,
Ilex aquifolium Community
D Juncus
flush Juncus
effusus, Juncus conglomeratus, Lotus
pedunculatus Community
E Wet
Meadow Cardamine
pratensis, Ranunculus acris Community
F Amenity
grassland Luzula
campestris, Lolium perenne, Bellis perennis,
Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus Community
G Rough
grassland Dactylis
glomerata, Ranunculus repens Community
H Linear
amenity planting Prunus
sp. (cherry), Prunus
laurocerasus Community
I Managed
hedgerows Crataegus
monogyna Community
J Heathland Calluna
vulgaris, , Vaccinium myrtillus, Deschampsia
flexuosa Community
K Birch
and willow woodland Salix
caprea, Betula sp. 5. Ecological InterestA very diverse site with a history of development for recreational use. It abuts New Hall Wood in the west, agricultural land to the south and south east with a leisure centre and housing to the north. Much of the present vegetation dates from when the site was landscaped as a public park in the 1920s and when major landscaping took place in the 1960s that produced the tiers of recreational fields in the western part.
The extensive areas of recreational fields provide space for three football fields, a hard surface playground and basketball court. The fields themselves have some interest, some areas more than others, as they have received very little in the way of inputs of fertiliser or chemicals. Although the top field on west side is managed amenity grass, species such as Common bird's-foot-trefoil and selfheal have been recorded. The field at the back of the leisure centre is of most interest as a wide variety of plants, albeit very low growing because of the frequency of mowing, can be found from daisy, common cat's-ear and selfheal to lady's mantle and field wood-rush. In autumn the field (if uncut for a while) is frequently found with a variety of wax cap fungi (Hygrocybe) including meadow, parrot, snowy and scarlet, as well as the Red Data Book Species Hygrocybe calyptraeformis discovered in 1997. A survey in early November 2000 recorded six fruiting bodies of this fungus. This field also contains a large wet meadow area on its eastern side surrounding a wet Juncus (rush) flush marking a spring with characteristic species such as lady's smock and meadow buttercup. The woodland compartment consists of a few areas of mature trees on the east part of the site, including the area of trees and shrubs along the 'ash track'. An area of mixed trees (with much ash) has developed on the eastern side of the top recreation field in the west. Tree and shrub planting in three areas took place in the 1990s with species such as rowan, guelder rose, alder and hawthorn planted. Birch and willow woodland skirt the western fringe of the site and form the upper slopes of the valley in which New Hall Wood lies. Some of this woodland has developed on one of the north-facing slopes between the stepped fields. At the east end of this finger of woodland occurs heathland habitat with some bilberry. Parts are eroded as a result of the slope being used as a shortcut to the football fields of the top field. The birch and willow scrub/woodland may, in time, invade and oust the heather from this area. Scrub areas are mainly of willow and recent planting as mentioned above. An unusual feature is a large linear amenity planting feature on the east side of the two northernmost stepped fields. This consists of many large cherry trees and also a stretch of cherry laurel. A dirt track drive runs between this feature and the back gardens of the houses. Some of these property owners have extended their gardening across the drive to the linear feature with formal planting of cultivated plants and shrubs such as wallflowers, Iris and Forsythia. Tall herb areas are abundant and are found adjacent to the leisure centre car park and south of the allotment site. Also, there is a small area south of the Inman pavilion that has Russian comfrey. Tall herb is also found around the southernmost stepped field with hogweed, thistles and rosebay willowherb being major components during the summer months. With this variety of habitat there was, as expected, a wide variety of birds with corvids using the recreation fields as feeding grounds, and in winter gulls use these to roost, whilst small flocks of siskin can be found in the alders along the 'ash track'. Redpolls were seen on the survey day around the area of alders with other finches. This is a species that has experienced significant population declines in recent years. In summer the space above the fields are used for feeding by swallows and house martins. Bats are frequent along tree and woodland margins. Mole activity is sometimes considerable at appropriate times of the year. Extensive mole hills on some of the fields indicate a thriving population. Invertebrates are very diverse too. Local naturalists have recorded many butterfly, gall wasp and fly species. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Botanical survey - to view lists of species click here
Stocksbridge SRB5 Greenspace Audit undertaken by Jim Flanagan for Sheffield Wildlife Trust - see their Community Action Handbook - full of good ideas for your local site |
Inner Zone Outer Zone Countryside Zone Industrial Zone
I nner Zone Outer Zone Countryside Zone Industrial Zone
I nner Zone Outer Zone Countryside Zone Industrial Zone
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Text and Photographs (unless stated otherwise) © Steel Valley Partnership Stocksbridge, all rights reserved. Terms of use: Any involved in education or training may copy the contents of these web pages, with the proviso that they always make reference to the original copyright.
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