Copgrove

Roundhay Park

Park Villas · 16 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.

Yeadon Tarn

Rufford Park · 16 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.

Bradford Pennine Gateway NNR

Ilkley · 17 miles

Covering more than 1,200 hectares across the northern fringe of Bradford, the Bradford Pennine Gateway National Nature Reserve was formally opened on 25 March 2025. Situated around Ilkley and extending into Haworth, Harden, Bingley, Baildon, Shipley and surrounding villages, it represents the first national nature reserve in West Yorkshire and forms part of King Charles III’s “King’s Series” of new reserves. The designation, announced in May 2025, links eight distinct sites and provides enhanced protection for a range of habitats, including wetlands, heathland and peat bogs. The reserve’s varied environments support a number of notable wildlife species such as adders, short-eared owls, golden plovers and curlews. Approximately 40 % of the area, amounting to 738 hectares, received new protection as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. One of the constituent sites, Bingley North Bog, originated over 10 000 years ago when glacial retreat left sediment that formed the present wetland. Work that began in August 2025 focused on clearing paths, restoring the bog and removing invasive plants; the bog now hosts curlews, herons, bats, kingfishers and dragonflies. Management of all sites rests with Bradford City Council, and the reserve is intended to serve as a venue for field studies by local colleges and universities. In 2026 the reserve featured in Condé Nast Traveller’s list of seven wonders of the world.

Rodley Nature Reserve

Newlay · 18 miles

Wetland habitats on the north bank of the River Aire near Rodley, West Yorkshire, offer a refuge for a variety of birds and insects. The reserve occupies the former site of a sewage works, a transformation that began after Yorkshire Water proposed a nature reserve in 1992. Following discussions with local wildlife groups, planning and fundraising led to the opening of the reserve in 1999, with an official inauguration by the Minister of State for the Environment the following year. Subsequent development added a series of ponds between 2004 and 2009, creating additional water, marsh and ditch features that enhance the site’s ecological value. The area lies on a migratory route used by waders and waterfowl, complementing the habitats provided by the River Aire and the nearby Leeds and Liverpool Canal, a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest. Woodland, grassland and scrub accompany the water bodies, supporting breeding populations of frogs, toads and newts, and recording fifteen species of dragonfly. Avian life includes little grebe, tufted duck, kingfisher and dipper throughout the year, with winter visitors such as snipe and pochard, and summer or resident songbirds like linnet and willow warbler. Visitors can reach the reserve via the carpark situated beside the gate, and a visitor centre provides disabled parking and toilet facilities.

Leeds War Memorial

Arena Quarter · 19 miles

A marble obelisk topped with a bronze Angel of Peace dominates Victoria Square on the Headrow, positioned between the Town Hall and the Leeds City Art Gallery. The monument, listed as a historic memorial on the OpenStreetMap database, forms a focal point of the city centre and can be approached directly from the surrounding pedestrianised streets. Its four sides bear the inscriptions Invictis Pax, Ovr Gloriovs Dead, Honovr to the Fallen and Pro Patria, while the north-west and south-west corners record the dates 1914–1918 and 1939–1945. Flanking the shaft are sculptural groups titled Peace releasing a dove and Saint George and the Dragon, and each corner is embellished with owls, the heraldic emblem of Leeds. Designed by Henry Charles Fehr and unveiled on 14 October 1922, the memorial was originally sited in City Square before being moved to the newly created garden of rest in Victoria Square in 1937. It suffered a crack in 1940, leading to removal for repair and storage throughout the Leeds Blitz, with reinstatement in 1946. Subsequent storm damage saw the original Angel of Victory taken down, and after a period without a crowning figure, a new Angel of Peace by Ian Judd was dedicated on 10 November 1991. Today the site hosts the city’s Remembrance Day ceremonies, with three flag-pole mountings set up for the occasion, and remains accessible to visitors as part of the public square.

Temple Of Lead Lads

Potterton · 15 miles