Balloon incident at Braham Park / Thorp Arch.

On Monday, 4th December 1786 a well publicised aerostatic globe (balloon) flying attempt was planned to happen in Leeds. The balloon was filled with a vitriol mix on land at White Cloth Hall, Leeds. It was planned to carry both the balloon owner and a passenger, Mr Ralph Haigh Esq, of Newcastle upon Tyne, but when both got into the basket to begin the flight the balloon would not rise to Mr Haigh left the basket. Just after 15.30hrs the balloon rose into the air in front of around thirty thousand spectators. Once in the air he threw out a length of cord that gave him a degree of height measurement and he had intended on remaining around 200 feet off the ground for the flight. A wind took the balloon in a north easterly direction from Leeds, Having lost height the balloon basket eventually struck a hedge near Bramham Park house then gently touched the ground. An anchor was thrown out but this failed to hold the balloon and it rose to around one hundred feet into the air, then immediately descended into an ajoining field and was dragged against a tree which damaged what was described the "gallery" but then rose again into the air. By this stage a number of people were following the balloon and at just before 16.00hrs the balloon finally landed at Clifford Fields, Thorp Arch.

Aeronaut - Mr Vincenzo Lunardi.