Countryside Walks In Leeds You Can Do This Weekend

Leeds is a great city. In fact, it’s one of the best in the UK. Yes, biased Yorkshire woman over here!

But, for all the love the city gets, one thing that’s not mentioned enough is just how lovely the nearby countryside is. You only need to travel a short distance away from Leeds to discover lush green fields, waterfalls, and amazing views that will take your breath away. If you’re craving that fresh air this weekend, here are some countryside walks in Leeds that will make you feel a million miles away from city life…

The Meanwood Valley Trail

This 7 mile trail is perfect if you’re looking for a short walk or a longer trek through the woodland of Leeds. It’s a varying pathway that passes through parkland, woods, over small streets and past waterfalls. If you want to start from the beginning, take your first steps on the trail from Woodhouse Moor and continue your walk through Headingley, Meanwood and Adel, finishing at Golden Acre Park. Alternatively, take your time on a shorter route. The path from Meanwood Park is a good place to start – and take in the fresh air around you.

Rodley Canal

I mention the canal at Rodley mainly because it’s on my doorstep but also because it’s part of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal. And any walk alongside the water is pretty nice, this part in particular though. With barges dotted along the water’s edge, swans floating gracefully, and ducks begging for food, it makes for a pretty scenic walk. The trail is also lined with fields, and if you’re lucky, the cute little teashop will be open if you fancy a cuppa and a cake.

Eccup Reservoir

This walk, surprisingly enough, takes you around part of the perimeter of Eccup Reservoir. You’ll start at the edge of the water – a huge expanse that is the centre of the walk. Then you’ll make your way along the flat path and into woodland that skirts Shadwell Golf Course. From here, you’ll continue on a country road and up into the fields before looping back to the starting point. Alternatively, you can double back and do the reverse route on the flat path you’ve just walked on. I can highly recommend the walk through the fields though. The scenery is beautiful and the light is just stunning when it hits the trees at sunset. Just make sure to take walking boots as the walking tracks get quite muddy!

St Aidan’s RSPB Nature Reserve

This one is further out of Leeds but it’s one of the countryside walks in Leeds that’s truly worth it. St Aidan’s RSPB Nature Reserve is an old mine that has been transformed into a gorgeous landscape that both humans and wildlife can enjoy. Since the mine’s closure, this place has grown into a place that attracts Bitterns, Black-Headed Gulls, Skylarks and Short Eared Owls. Follow sections of the 7.5 miles of pathway and take in the vista of wetland, reedbeds and woodland.

Golden Acre Park

Golden Acre Park is part of the Meanwood Valley trail. And it’s at the opposite end to where you might start at Woodhouse Moor. However, I think this place deserves a mention of it’s own. With beautiful woodland, a nice lake with few ducks to feed, and some pretty gardens to wander, Golden Acre Park is the perfect place if you want some fresh air for an hour or two without wanting to take a big walk.

Do you have any tips for countryside walks in Leeds? Let me know where you favourite place is for a bit of fresh air!