The Friends of Middleton Park are hosting a free guided winter walk in Middleton Park on Sunday (15 March 2026) exploring the legacy of the Brandling family in Middleton and Leeds
Ralph Brandling married Anne Leigh, the heiress of the Middleton Estate, in 1697 and inherited the estate in 1706. He was a member of a prominent family from Newcastle with extensive mining interests and this expertise was brought to develop and improve the Middleton Colliery.
Over the next 150 years the output from Middleton Colliery fuelled the industrial revolution in Leeds. This year is Leeds 400 and the Friends thought it would be interesting to look at the legacy of the Brandlings in Leeds while walking around their estate in Middleton. John Newbould, Friend and local historian, will be leading the walk and telling the story of this
important family.
This is an accessible walk on firm surfaces, and is suitable for wheelchair or mobility scooter users. Although there are quite a few hills. The walk will last between one hour thirty minutes and two hours, and is about two and a half miles in length.
Join us at 1pm this Sunday (15 March) at the Visitor Centre in the park, there’s no need to book. The Visitor Centre is accessed off Town Street, LS10 3SH.
This post was written by Jim Jackson
Photo: Middleton Church – built on land donated by Rev. Ralph Brandling in 1845. Some of the later members of the Brandling family are buried in the church yard. Image by Ivor Dykes (deceased) for Friends of Middleton Park taken in 2005.
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