Patrick Green

On Lake Lock Road, Stanley.

On Lake Lock Road, Stanley.

The Leeds to Wakefield turnpike road was first enacted in 1761 and lasted until the 1870s. It was 8.3 miles long. This milestone in Lofthouse Gate, outside 124 Leeds Road, Hopkinsons Cottage, is the only one remaining from that era. Although the pavement is built up around it, the metal peg suggests that a plate was cast with the legends. Perhaps Leeds 6, Wakefield 3. Note the brick in the wall with the makers name, Armitage.

Hopkinsons Cottage, quite a tall house, has been sold. Hopefully the new owners will not remove the milestone.

The benchmark is cut into the east face of the property.

There is a benchmark is cut into the east face of the property.

A faint indentation in the grass shows the direction of the footpath

Small village near Rothwell, at the centre of the Rhubarb Triangle

Village in the centre of the Rhubarb Triangle, south of Leeds. This street has been adopted by the Leeds Country Way long distance footpath since 2006, when the trail was redrawn to exclude the Wakefield section.

This is an area to the west of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, about 9 square miles in extent, where traditional Yorkshire forced rhubarb is still produced. Originally the name covered a much larger area, bounded by Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield, but the availability of imported sweet fruit after the second World War led to a huge drop in demand, and producers are now down to about a dozen. The growing of forced rhubarb is still labour intensive as a lot of hand-operation still has to be maintained to avoid damage to the plants. The roots are grown outdoors for 2 years before being carefully lifted and brought into the forcing sheds where heat and a lack of light cause the rhubarb to grow more delicate and sweeter leaf stalks than outdoors. Harvesting still takes place by candlelight to prevent unwanted photosynthesis, and the stalks have to be individually selected and hand harvested. Since 2010, the product has benefited from Protected Designation of Origin status, meaning that the name Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb can only be apply to produce grown in the traditional area. Several factors made the area particularly suitable for the growing of rhubarb. The soil is rich and retains moisture (rhubarb does not grow well in dry soils) and a combination of good rainfall in the Pennine shadow and early frosts make for ideal growing conditions. The local coal industry meant that fuel for the warming of the forcing sheds was cheap, and finally the wool wastes from the local shoddy industry were found to be an ideal fertiliser, high in Nitrogen content. See Link for more information.

Farm land adjacent to Jumbles Lane, Lofthouse, Wakefield. Part of the area of West Yorkshire designated "the Rhubarb Triangle" Adjacent to the A61 main Leeds - Wakefield road

Jumbles Lane, Lofthouse; looking across the A61 (the main Leeds to Wakefield road) towards the eastern end of Long Thorpe Lane

The M62 is the west to east trans-Pennine motorway. It is 107 miles long running from Liverpool to Hull. It was built between 1971 and 1976. At Windy Hill it is 372m above sea level, making it the highest point on any British motorway. Wikipedia: Link

The M62 is the west to east trans-Pennine motorway. It is 107 miles long running from Liverpool to Hull. It was built between 1971 and 1976. At Windy Hill it is 372m above sea level, making it the highest point on any British motorway. Wikipedia: Link

The M62 is the west to east trans-Pennine motorway. It is 107 miles long running from Liverpool to Hull. It was built between 1971 and 1976. At Windy Hill it is 372m above sea level, making it the highest point on any British motorway. Wikipedia: Link

The M62 is the west to east trans-Pennine motorway. It is 107 miles long running from Liverpool to Hull. It was built between 1971 and 1976. At Windy Hill it is 372m above sea level, making it the highest point on any British motorway. Wikipedia: Link