The Byerley Turk, the great stallion owned by the then Captain Robert Byerley, was arguably Middridge’s most famous resident.
The Byerley Turk (Painting by John Wootton)
The Byerley Turk was one of the founding stallions of today’s thoroughbred horses and was stood at Middridge Grange, until being moved to North Yorkshire when his owner married.
Colonel Robert Byerley was the son of Colonel Anthony Byerley, a cavalry officer serving Charles I in a unit known as “Byerley’s Bulldogs”.
The Byerley line eventually died out, but their name lives on in place names around the region, such as Byerley Park, Byerley Road etc.
