On Sunday (17 March 2024) a guided walk, organised by the Friends of Middleton Park will examine Middleton’s mining past.
In the second half of the 1700’s the Middleton Colliery was an almost monopoly supplier of coal to Leeds. Good quality Middleton coal fueled the industrial revolution in Leeds.
The Middleton owners were the Brandling family from the North East of England, and they brought mining expertise and techniques from the Newcastle area that made the colliery highly productive. They created the Middleton Railway to get the coal into Leeds, initially hauled by horses, and later by the first successful use of steam locomotives in the world.
The story of mining in the 1700s and onwards will be told as we walk around the park exploring the remains of waggonways and pit shafts. Indeed the remains are so important that the area has been designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England.
With the recent rain, the ground may be a little difficult. So please wear walking shoes or boots, and don’t forget to wrap up warm and dry
Friends of Middleton Park organise a monthly guided walk in the Park from February to November.
Free Guided Walk in Middleton Park – Mining in Middleton
Sunday 17 March
Meet at 1pm at the Visitor Centre, Middleton Park
No Booking necessary
This post is based on a press release issued by the Friends of Middleton Park
Main image: The Middleton Miner, courtesy of the New York Public Library
While you’re here, can we ask a favour?
South Leeds Life is published by a not-for-profit social enterprise. We keep our costs as low as possible but we’ve been hit by increases in the print costs for our monthly newspaper which have doubled in the last two years.
Could you help support local community news by making a one off donation, or even better taking out a supporters subscription?
Donate here, or sign up for a subscription at bit.ly/SLLsubscribe
