Birchwood Estate Character Area (view detailed map) is a large ‘self-contained’ public housing development dating from between 1960 and 1980, with associated community centre and green space. It is located approximately 4km southwest of Lincoln city centre. Constructed in six phases (Birchwood 1-5 and a former RAF housing estate) over a short period of time, the varying development units making up the Character Area illustrate changing approaches towards the construction of large public housing estates in the latter part of the 20th century.

The public housing developments have overwritten much of the former landscape, however the townscape contains many traces of its rural and military past, including the lines of field boundaries associated with the 18/19^th century enclosure of land, boundaries of two probable 19^th century woodland plantations, and the remains of a taxiway associated with a WWII heavy bomber airfield.

Residential housing is laid out around straight and curvilinear streets, cul-de-sacs and closes, and consists with short rows of between 4 and 10 dwellings, and a small number of semi-detached houses. Buildings are mostly 2-storeys in height and are 2/3 bays in width, with the exception of 3 storey apartment blocks, which are 6-10 bays in width and are mainly located along the edges of housing developments bordering open space.
 

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