Waterton travelled the world collecting rare birds and animals (many of them on display in an exhibition about him in Wakefield Museum). He resided in Walton Hall - sometimes known as Waterton Hall. He made the world's first nature reserve in his estate when he came back to Walton after travelling the world. He is credited as being one of the world' first environmentalists after he made the nature reserve and was a strong opponent to a soap-works near his estate, which polluted the environment around it with poisonous chemicals. He made the soap-works move after legal action. The soap works' building is still there, near to the New Inn.
In Walton there's now a blue plaque at the bottom of the Balk celebrating his life.
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Blue plaque commemorating Waterton |
Walton used to have a colliery, which shut in 1979. It was originally known as Sharlston West colliery but was later renamed Walton colliery. The area has in the past decade been developed into a nature reserve around the many lakes that have been created. The trees that have been planted hide away a few areas that are slag heaps but overall the nature reserve has developed well and is returning the area to nature as well as giving walkers, cyclists and equestrians a great place to go.
Henry Daley Memorial Garden
Henry Daley was a Wakefield councillor who 'protected and improved the environment for the benefit of local people'. In the memorial garden there is a monument with spikes that is in fact a sun dial because in its location ther used to be houses that were on an area known as Spike Island. In the gallery below is a picture of the monument.
Park and schools
Walton has a park next to what was Walton Junior School, just off School Lane. Walton Junior School was demolished in 2008/9 after the school had merged with the Infant school and went to a new building at Walton Primary School, on Shay Lane.
Gallery...
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Railway Viaduct at Walton Colliery Nature Reserve
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