Birchwood
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- For other uses of Birchwood, see Birchwood (disambiguation)
Birchwood is a district in the east of Warrington in the North West of England. It was built during the time of much expansion in the town of Warrington as it became a "new town". Birchwood Town is separated into three villages Gorse Covert, Oakwood and Locking Stumps.
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History
"The surface, at a distance, looks black and dirty, and will bear neither horse nor man….. What nature meant by such a useless production ‘tis hard to imagine, but the land is entirely to waste" are the words of Daniel Defoe as he rode through Birchwood in 1724. Throughout History travellers have avoided the Birchwood area because it of its dangerous moss, however gradually over time much of the fertile mossland was reclaimed and turned into farm land. With the advent of World War II the landscape changed massively. 927 acres (3.8 km²) of prime agricultural land was changed into a massive Royal Ordnance Factory with several large areas carrying out a multitude of functions.
German bombers knew of the large factories location but it surprisingly was never bombed, according to a local builder:
"It was very lonely and misty at night, and that’s why the factory was constructed there ….. it was usually covered with a mist or cloud. It was hard to see it in the day time, you know".
Several underground bunkers were also built (that can still be seen today) to house the weaponry and protect it from potential bombing.
However after the war the factory no longer had a purpose other than as a storage depot and so in 1956 the north west of the factory was sold to UKAEA with the entire disused area being put on the market in 1963. No buyer was ever found for it until 1968 when the Warrington and Runcorn Development Corporation bought the site and turned it into the new town of Birchwood.
Shopping
The area's shopping needs are serviced by Birchwood Mall, a recently renovated mall with many shops and a large ASDA store. There are also small shops in each village of the town.
Transport
Birchwood is connected to by the 24,25,26 and 27 buses and a regional railway station. It is located directly on the M6 and M62 motorways.
Industry
To north of Birchwood is the large Birchwood Park science park built on the site of the former UKAEA headquarters.
Geography
The area east of Birchwood is mainly Birch forests and Risley Moss. Built on the site of the former Royal Ordnance factory there.
External Links
- Royal Ordnance Factory, Risley (http://www.rof-risley.fsnet.co.uk/index.htm)