Bircham View

Just below Forder Battery, yet still high above the botom of Forder Valley, is the aptly-named Bircham View. It was built in the first half of the 20th century, before most of its more recent neighbours.

The Bircham in question comes from the properties, Bircham and Lower Bircham, that were built long ago on the werstern edge of the stream that runs down from Derriford and into Forder Valley.

In the mid 19th century, the Rev John Briggs was living at Bircham, while T Briggs had Fursdon on the other side of the stream.

For the best part of two centuries at least, the Briggs family owned much of what we know now as part of the Bircham Valley Nature Reserve. The preservation of that means that the view of Bicham today is still one of the most pleasant, rural and least spoiled sights within the city boundaries.

The name appears to have been first recorded as Byrecham in the Assize Records of 1270, which simply suggests and area known for its birch trees.

EH 20 February 2001