Leeds has a great number of parks spread across the city, and many are famed for their attractions such as Roundhay or the Temple Newsham and Lotherton Estates.
But those two are found quite a way out of the city and often times can be a trek to get to - but there is one that is only a 10 minute drive from the centre. Middleton Park, located about four miles away from the hustle and bustle is a beautiful space.
I visited the park on a very hot Friday afternoon and was blown away by the place. I had not been (to my recollection) to Middleton Park before, despite living in Leeds for almost my entire life.
Up until my visit I would have said Roundhay was my favourite but this is my chance to be less predictable. Middleton Park is a public space covering 630 acres, 200 of which are ancient woodland.
The park is stunning, it's got the standards such as a visitor centre, lots of benches, play areas and little trails but if you go off the beaten track, that is where you will find tranquility.
I was in the park to search for a bench, a very specific bench of which I only had the coordinates. Sadly the bench was seemingly non-existent so instead I spent a bit of time admiring the area.
Once I got past the main entrance, which was relatively busy, I found myself in what I can only describe as a slice of the US deep south.
It was covered in long dry grass, many different types of trees and the constant orchestra of insects. There was birdsong, constant noise yet also stillness.
I couldn't stop taking photos of the place, it was amazing. I love a good walk and as someone who spends the majority of their time in a city centre flat surrounded by tall buildings, cars and pollution it was a literal breath of fresh air to get out and about.
Middleton Park also has a wealth of history behind it, there are large numbers of 'shaft mounds' which are thought to be medieval coal mines. In 2008 the park was given lottery funding to regenerate the site with a cafe and bandstand put in place.
Further into the park, if you follow the signs you can find the Middleton Railway - the world's oldest continuously working railway. It was first constructed in 1758 and still runs to this day.
The whole park is just beautiful, it's huge so you could get lost in it for hours and not much further up the road is the Leeds Urban Valley bike park with ramps and trails for mountain bikers.
With it being a few miles out of the city centre, your transport options are fairly standard. I chose the bus, which from slap bang in Leeds city centre took around 35 minutes.
If you have never been to the park before, it's the perfect place to go to get out of the city but not too far away that transport is an issue. It's also underrated and due to its scale, fairly unpopulated.
You'll find little garden courtyards, sculptures and wide open fields dotted around Middleton Park. It's well worth a visit just to do some exploring.
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