SE3028 : Culvert under a path in Middleton Park (2)
taken 6 years ago, near to Middleton, Leeds, England
Middleton Park and Woods are an area of South Leeds that started as a medieval manor estate, then from the 17th century (or possibly earlier) was used for shallow seam coal mining; The Middleton Railway served the coal industry from 1758. Although some coal was mined up until 1968 when the Middleton Railway also closed, it had mostly ceased by the early 19th century, when a larger pit to the north-east took over.
From 1920 the land was leased to Leeds Corporation as a public park and from 1925 to 1959 an electric tram service operated into Leeds from a halt on the northern edge of the woods - the route is still walkable as a public path.
Today the park and woods remain open to the public, the Middleton Railway still serves it at weekends during the spring and summer, and there is a modern visitor centre. See Link for more detail.