Roundhay, Leeds: A Local's Guide
More than 700 acres of lakes, woods and gardens, meerkats in a glasshouse and a clock that used to live in Kirkgate Market: Roundhay, explained.
By Only Leeds Editorial
Roundhay is the north Leeds suburb built around Roundhay Park, more than 700 acres of lakes, woods and gardens about three miles from the city centre, and a good day here is a lap of Waterloo Lake, an hour in Tropical World and a pint by the fire at the Roundhay Fox. Nearly a million people visit the park every year, and on a sunny Sunday it feels like they all came at once.
A short history
This was a medieval hunting park before it was anyone's day out. In 1803 Thomas Nicholson bought the northern part of the estate and flooded old quarries and workings to make the Upper Lake and Waterloo Lake. The city bought the park in 1871 for £139,000, after a group including the mayor, John Barran, put the deal together, and Prince Arthur reopened it in 1872. The castle is a folly from 1811, built to look older than it is, and the Mansion, built between 1811 and 1826, reopened in 2007 after an £8 million refurbishment.
Walking the park
Start at Waterloo Lake, about 33 acres of water, and walk the loop. The Lakeside Cafe sits on the shore in a converted 1902 boathouse, family run and not part of the council, doing breakfast, lunch and homemade cakes; the park's land train starts from beside it. From there, walk up to the castle folly, then on through the woods towards the Upper Lake. There is also a skate park, a public golf course, sports pitches, a sculpture trail and playgrounds, including an accessible play area near the tram car park off Princes Avenue. A parkrun goes round every week if you prefer your scenery at speed. The council's Roundhay Park page has maps and toilets.
Gardens and Tropical World
The formal gardens are the other half of the park: Canal Gardens, the Alhambra Garden and the Monet Garden, plus gold medal gardens from the Chelsea Flower Show. Also on Princes Avenue, Tropical World on Princes Avenue is a set of heated glasshouses with the biggest tropical plant collection in the UK after Kew. You walk through a butterfly house, an aquarium, a rainforest canopy with monkeys and a desert house with meerkats, who have the best job in Leeds. Adults are £9.50, children aged 3 to 15 are £5.50 and under 3s are free, with a LeedsCard price of £7.60. It opens 10am to 6pm, dropping to 10am to 4pm from late October, with last entry 30 minutes before closing. It is closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day and shuts at 2pm on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. On a cold grey Saturday it is the warmest place in the city.
The big gigs
The Arena, a former sports ground in the park, holds more than 100,000 people and has seen the Rolling Stones in 1982, Michael Jackson in 1988 and 1992 and Ed Sheeran in 2019. Ask anyone over 45 in north Leeds about 1988 and settle in.
Eating and drinking
The Roundhay Fox, on Princes Avenue at the edge of the park, is the post-walk pub: log fires inside, a beer garden with heaters outside, dogs welcome and seasonal British food. The slow-cooked pork belly is the order. For daytime, the Lakeside Cafe does the job with a view.
Oakwood
Just down the road, Oakwood is Roundhay's little high street, and its landmark is the Oakwood Clock. It was built in 1904 by Potts of Leeds as the centrepiece of Kirkgate Market, moved out in 1912 when the market needed a new entrance on Vicar Lane, and ended up here, where it served as a tram shelter until 1959. Locals raised the money to restore it in 2015. On the third Saturday of every month, from 9am to 12.30pm, the Oakwood Farmers' Market sets up around the clock, run through the local environmental group REAP. Bring a bag and an appetite.
Getting there and parking
The park's address is Mansion Lane, off Princes Avenue, LS8 2HH. There are four council car parks: off Wetherby Road at the south end, at the end of Park Avenue by the Lakeside Cafe, by the old tram station off Princes Avenue, and at the end of Mansion Lane by the Mansion. Charges apply, and on a sunny weekend they fill quickly, so come early.
A good Roundhay day
Farmers' market at Oakwood Clock if it is the third Saturday, then up into the park for a lap of Waterloo Lake and a coffee at the Lakeside Cafe. Walk up to the castle, wander the gardens, and spend an hour with the meerkats in Tropical World. Finish at the Roundhay Fox with your feet by the fire. It is the best free half of a day out in Leeds, and the other half is not expensive either.
