St Aidan's nature park comprises the former St Aidan's opencast site, Lowther North opencast site and parts of the former Savile Colliery, Methley. In March 1988, there was a slope failure on the banks of the River Aire, resulting in a massive flood of 17,000,000 L (3,700,000 imp gal; 4,500,000 US gal) of water. RAF Chinook helicopters were used to ferry sandbags into the breach, but it did not stop the water cascading in.[citation needed] It took four days for the floodwater to fill the mine workings.Not only did the downstream river flow into the site, but the River Calder actually flowed upstream in the River Aire waterbed from Castleford until the water found a natural level.Government documentation[which? states that it was the Aire and Calder Navigation, whilst others list the Aire as being the source of the water that flooded St Aidan's. The failure came about just southeast of Lemonroyd Lock where the two waterways converge. The resultant deluge created a lake that was 100 ha (250 acres) in size and 70 m (230 ft) deep.
Mining operations were suspended and remedial works costing £20 million were required to drain the site and re-route the river. Mining resumed after ten years was subsequently completed. The site was then converted into a wetland reserve.
The Pontefract and District Archaeological Society won the Pitt Rivers award for their work on the preservation of the ships and heritage that was found in the abandoned river bed after the water was diverted. The find provided a unique insight into river trade in the seventeenth century onwards, including the hulls of four boats (virtually intact), various pottery and evidence of a medieval weir.
Ownership of the land was transferred in 2010 from UK Coal/Harworth Estates to St Aidan's Trust, a charity administered by Leeds City Council. The trust would then lease the land to the RSPB for 99 years on a peppercorn rent. The Country Park officially opened to the public on 25 May 2013. Unfortunately, due to unresolved land ownership issues, the RSPB withdrew its staffing and support in July 2013. As of 21 December 2016 ownership of St Aidan's was successfully passed from Harworth Estates to the St Aidan's Trust (of which Leeds City Council is the sole trustee). The site was then leased to the RSPB on a 99-year lease and reopened in April 2017. The RSPB now have control of the management of the site, including the car park, visitor centre and visitor operations
22 янв 2023
