Saltergate Junior School

Yeadon Tarn

Rufford Park · 11 miles

A small lake occupies a low-lying spot between the town of Yeadon and Leeds Bradford Airport in West Yorkshire. Covering roughly 7 hectares, the water body is fed by land drainage on its north-eastern side and releases water via Yeadon Beck, which joins the River Aire at Esholt. The surrounding geology – shales capped with boulder clay – allows the tarn to retain about 238 000 cubic metres of water at an elevation of 196 metres above sea level. The tarn’s origins trace back to at least the mid-fourteenth century, when it appears in records as Yedonmarre, a name derived from Old Norse. Historically it served industrial purposes, being shown as a fish pond on early maps and later supplying water to dye-works mill ponds in the 1890s. In 1925 the local council purchased the dam, cleared the perimeter, laid footpaths and renamed the site Yeadon Tarn, a term that replaced the earlier local names Yeadon Dam and Yeadon Moor Dam. During the Second World War the water was deliberately drained to deny enemy bombers a visual reference, before refilling in the post-war years. Recreational use today includes sailing from Tarnfield Park, where the Leeds Sailing and Activity Centre and Yeadon Sailing Club operate, as well as carp fishing, kayaking and model boating. The Environment Agency’s 2000 works created a conservation zone on the north bank and installed windbreak baffles to curb erosion. Wildlife such as cormorants, goosanders, mallards and signal crayfish are recorded, while periodic management of Canada geese addresses aircraft safety concerns. Access is provided by a car park within Tarnfield Park and a regular service of bus 747 along the adjacent road; no specific admission fee is mentioned.

Roundhay Park

Park Villas · 12 miles

A large green space stretches along Leeds’ north-eastern fringe, bordered by the Roundhay suburb, Oakwood and the A6120 ring road. Spanning more than 700 acres of lawns, water, woodland and formal plantings, the area is owned by the people of Leeds under a historic decree and is looked after by Leeds City Council. Entry is free and the park can be reached from the nearby Park Villas estate, with car parking available at former tram and lido sites. The land’s recorded history begins in the 11th century when William the Conqueror granted it to Ilbert de Lacy as a reward for military support. It later served as a medieval hunting ground for the de Lacy family, passed to John of Gaunt and his son Henry IV, and was handed to Thomas Darcy by Henry VIII. In the early 1800s the estate was sold to Thomas Nicholson, who transformed former quarries into the Upper and Waterloo Lakes and built a mansion overlooking the water. After changing hands within the Nicholson family, the property was bought for public use in the early 1870s, landscaped by architect George Corson and officially reopened by Prince Arthur before a crowd of about 100 000. Subsequent developments included a tram link in 1891, a lido opened in 1907 (now a car park), and a lakeside café rebuilt after a fire in 2008. Visitors can explore the lakes, wooded walks and several themed gardens. Canal Gardens host the Arnold and Marjorie Ziff Tropical World, a series of climate-controlled glasshouses containing tropical flora, a butterfly house, aquariums, free-roaming birds, reptiles, meerkats and a nocturnal exhibit with bats. Adjacent rose and walled gardens, restored shelters and footpaths round out the amenities, while the Lakeside Café provides refreshments. All facilities are managed by Leeds City Council and remain open to the public without charge.

York Gate Garden

Adel East Moor · 11 miles

Roundhay Castle (Folly)

Park Villas · 12 miles

Pinewoods Panorama

Harlow Hill · 1.2 miles

Panorama viewpoint with telescope

RHS Garden Harlow Carr

Harlow Hill · 1.9 miles

One of the 4 national botanic gardens run by the Royal Horticultural Society.