The Meanwood Valley Trail: Woodhouse Moor to Golden Acre
Seven miles of waymarked path from Woodhouse Moor up the beck to Golden Acre Park, in three easy sections.
By Only Leeds Editorial
You can leave the city centre behind and be among wild garlic and beck water inside ten minutes. The Meanwood Valley Trail is a waymarked footpath of 7 miles (11 km) that runs from Woodhouse Moor through Headingley, Meanwood and Adel to Breary Marsh and Golden Acre Park, where it meets the Leeds Country Way (Wikipedia). A running-route site measures it at 10.1 km with 176 m of climbing, so expect a few hills rather than a flat stroll.
Where it starts
The usual start is the statue of former Leeds mayor Henry Rowland Marsden on Woodhouse Moor, close to the University of Leeds and the junction of Woodhouse Lane and Raglan Road. The trail is waymarked both ways, so you can start at Golden Acre and walk down instead. For most of its length, as far as King Lane, it doubles as the official Leeds link to the Dales Way, so you may see signs for both.
The three sections
Discover Leeds splits the trail into three stages (Discover Leeds guide):
- Woodhouse Moor to Meanwood Park: 2 miles.
- Meanwood Park to Seven Arches: 2 miles.
- Seven Arches to Golden Acre Park: 3 miles.
That makes it easy to bail out early, or to do just the first stage as a Sunday walk.
Section one: Woodhouse Ridge
From the Marsden statue, the trail drops down Delph Lane into Woodhouse Ridge. The official leaflet says to follow the top edge of the Ridge with the stone wall on your left. At the metal gate and boulders, take the far right fork down the steps to the beck and the meadows, then keep the beck on your right all the way to Grove Lane (official leaflet).
The Ridge was given to the people of Leeds in 1876, with Batty's Wood added in 1901, and it was once a Victorian promenade. Look for wild garlic, wood anemone and bluebells in season. The leaflet even shows a common lizard, so keep an eye on the sunny stones.
Section two: Meanwood Park and the Seven Arches
The beck is Meanwood Beck, which flows south through Adel, Meanwood and Sheepscar into the River Aire. You walk upstream against it. Along the way the trail passes Meanwood Park and the Seven Arches aqueduct, plus the Meanwood allotments and the Meanwood Valley Local Nature Reserve.
Section three: Adel Woods to Golden Acre
The last and longest stage runs through Adel Woods. A TripAdvisor reviewer reports it is often very muddy, so wear proper shoes and not the trainers you bought for the gym. Near the end you cross Arthington Road and follow the bridleway ahead. A gate on your right leads into Golden Acre Park. Bear left round the lake to an arched underpass. Straight on leads to the A660, the bus stops and the park café. Through the underpass is the car park.
Where to stop
Myrtle Tavern, Parkside Road, Meanwood
The Myrtle Tavern (LS6 4NE) is a gastropub on the edge of Meanwood Park, a short detour off the trail rather than on it. Its beer garden was named best in the UK at the Great British Pub Awards 2024 (Yorkshire Evening Post). It serves food all day and has a play area, which helps if the walk includes children. The Yorkshire Evening Post reviewer's bill came to just under £21, which they called about what you would expect in north Leeds. Check opening times before you set off.
Golden Acre Park and its café, Otley Road, Bramhope
Golden Acre Park (LS16 8BQ) covers 179 acres of woodland and gardens around a lake, and it is free to enter. The lake was built in 1825 to feed downstream mills, and the dam breached in 1829. The park café has an outdoor seating area, which suits a tired walker on a dry day. Parking is not free: the Arthington Road (Golden Acre East) car park is closer to the gardens, but check the current tariff with Leeds City Council before you rely on it.
Getting back
The X84 bus runs along the A660 and links Golden Acre Park with Woodhouse Moor, so you can walk one way and ride home. The leaflet is undated and says to check current times, so look up the timetable first. Runners can loop back along the A660, Otley Road, Headingley Lane and Woodhouse Lane.
Cyclists should check before riding it. Discover Leeds says sections can be cycled, but a TripAdvisor reviewer says it follows rights of way footpaths, so Leeds City Council is the place to confirm.
If you like a crowd, the Meanwood Valley Trail Race is held each March or April on the upper reaches, run by the Valley Striders, with over 300 participants. Otherwise, pick a dry day, keep the beck on your right going up, and go slowly.
