Woodhouse Moor: the park, its history and the barbecue question
A mile from the centre, Woodhouse Moor is the city's oldest public park and the student back garden. Here is what to know, including the barbecue rules.
By Only Leeds Editorial
Woodhouse Moor sits about a mile north-west of Leeds city centre, in the universities district where Hyde Park, Woodhouse, Burley and Headingley all meet. Plenty of locals call it Hyde Park, although the Hyde Park district is a separate neighbourhood. Either name gets you to the same big green space.
The park itself
The formal park covers about 26 hectares (64 acres) and lies west of Woodhouse Lane, the A660. Five tree-lined main paths meet in the middle and split it into different areas of use. Most of it is open grass with avenues of mature trees, plus a playground, a skate park, a multi-use games area, a bowling green and a small car park by Hyde Park Corner. Creative Tourist also lists statues of Queen Victoria, Robert Peel, the Duke of Wellington and Henry Rowland Marsden.
East of Woodhouse Lane there are two more open areas, Monument Moor (Upper) and Cinder Moor (Lower, or Gravel). They have been used for circuses, sporting matches and sometimes car parking.
Visit Leeds lists the park as open 24 hours, dog friendly, with free parking and a picnic area. If you fancy a game, the LTA lists six outdoor tennis courts, bookable through ClubSpark.
How it began
It is described as the first public park in Leeds. Leeds Corporation bought the Moor in 1857 after an Act of Parliament, for £3,000, according to MyLearning. It became known as the lungs of Leeds, a green escape from Victorian smog. Before that it was the largest expanse of common land in the Manor of Leeds, and the University of Leeds says the land was originally moorland, hence the name.
The Moor also has a long record as a place of protest. The University of Leeds hidden histories tour points to feminist and working-class marches that set off from it into the city centre.
On numbers, the park had just under three million visits a year as of 2005, when it was the second most popular urban park in Leeds. That is an old figure, but nobody who has seen it on a hot afternoon will argue with the idea.
The barbecue question
Sunny Sundays on the Moor have a reputation, and barbecues are part of it. They are also against the rules. The Yorkshire Evening Post reports that Leeds City Council enforces a blanket ban on barbecues, bonfires and open flames in all its parks and public spaces, naming Woodhouse Moor, Roundhay Park and Golden Acre Park. West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service backs the ban, citing wildfire risk, and the paper suggests a cold picnic instead.
It has been a long-running argument. The council once looked at a designated barbecue area on the Moor, then dropped the idea. Local groups had said the proposed area was too big and risked litter and anti-social behaviour. A 2009 council consultation on barbecue use delivered 9,982 questionnaires to households within 800 metres of the park.
Public Spaces Protection Orders also apply in parts of Headingley, Hyde Park and Woodhouse Moor, covering things like street parties and drinking in public places. Bin your rubbish and bring cold food.
The people who look after it
Friends of Woodhouse Moor is a volunteer group that keeps a close eye on the park. It campaigned for toilets on the Moor and runs a website full of local history. It has also objected to tree planting over a wildflower meadow where cowslips grow.
The streets around it
Woodhouse, right beside the Moor, is described by student-letting sites as the closest residential student area to campus, about five minutes' walk from the University of Leeds. Woodhouse Lane runs along the park's edge and is where the student food and corner shops cluster. Listed rents run from about £130 a person a week on Burchett Grove to £172 on Archery Road, though that is letting-agent colour rather than a promise.
To the north, the council's conservation appraisal for Headingley Hill, Hyde Park and Woodhouse Moor describes Woodhouse Ridge, ancient woodland with Civil War links, which is worth a walk once you have done the Moor.
Good to know
- It is open 24 hours, but the paths are best used in daylight.
- Postcodes vary between listings, so use a map pin rather than typing one in.
- Cold picnic, bin bag, no flames.
