The Friends of Middleton Park are hosting a free guided walk in Middleton Park on Sunday (21 September 2025) exploring history in Beeston Wood.
It is nearly 70 years since you could take a ride from Leeds to Middleton by tram through the woods – the most exciting tram ride in Leeds. We can’t offer you that experience, but we can take you along the tram track to explore what’s hidden in these magnificent woods.
We can take you to walk along the 800 year boundary ditch, ordered to be dug by King John to settle a land dipute between feuding neighbours in Middleton and Beeston. As we walk round we will see some of the remains of what was an industrial hive of activity among the trees some 200+ years ago. And we will visit the closest thing there was to a refrigerator in the 1700s, only rediscovered comparatively recently.
There is lots to see, and the woods are always a joy to walk in. Join our knowledgable guides for a pleasant two hour stroll through South Leeds’ hidden green jewel of a park.
Join us at 1:30pm this Sunday (21 September) at the Visitor Centre in the park, there’s no need to book. Walks in the park may often include muddy or wet wooodland paths, so please wear boots or walking shoes, and appropriate clothing for the weather. The Visitor Centre is accessed off Town Street, LS10 3SH.
This post was written by Jim Jackson
Main photo: a tram travelling through Middleton Woods
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