The property was utilised as a sports estate in the 14th century, with a hunting lodge on Shipley Hill, and the region was coveted for its large woodland and good hunting.

Coal mining has long been a part of Shipley Country Park’s history. Coal mining, however, began to play an increasingly important role in altering the environment at Shipley and producing revenue for the proprietors beginning in the mid-1500s. Coal mining was in full swing on the estate by 1722, and the Miller Mundy family took control of the mines directly around 1765.