Covering 700 cares of parkland with lakes and woodlands, cafes, playgrounds and the famous Tropical World, Roundhay Park is a gem for both residents and visitors to Leeds. Located three miles north of the city centre, the park is often full of families, children and older people out for a stroll.
In the summer sun it is beautiful and during the day it's quite a peaceful experience. We went out to Roundhay during the 26C heat to have a wander and once again shout about the award-winning attraction.
We took to the park to not only show it off, because that's necessary, but also to chat to some people where out and about.
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Roundhay was stunning, the ducks and geese were around eating handfuls of breads from visitor's hands, children were laughing and paying probably a little bit too much for an ice cream - hey it's Summer - and there was a nice buzz in the air.
LeedsLive spoke to a gentleman named David Eric, 72, who said he has been coming to Roundhay for years, despite living in Aberford.
We asked him why he is so fond of the beloved park, and he said: "I come here almost every day, I retired a couple of years ago from being a teacher and it's nice to come and relax.
"I like a walk around, especially in the sun."
"It's been here such a long time, I hope it sticks around for the future generations too."
Roundhay is one of the biggest city parks in Europe. It is owned by Leeds City Council and gathers almost one million people each year. The park is fraught with history dating back to the 11th century with William the Conqueror.
William granted the lands on which the park stands to an old Norman family named de Lacy, Ilbert de Lacy was given the lands for his support during William's conquests to bring the northern parts of England under Norman control.
Ownership of the park continued to be passed on, in the 13th century it was used as a hunting park and then John of Gaunt gave it to his son Henry IV.
Through a series of marriages, the estate was passed on yet again. In 1803 it was sold to Thomas Nicholson. He took the northern part which then became the park itself.
Over 10 years, £15,000 was spent disguising the former industrial areas including coal mines and quarries by flooding them. The Mansion house which can be seen in the park was built between 1811 and 1826.
Following Nicholson's death, the estate was given to his half-brother. Roundhay was then put up for sale and later purchased for £139,000 by a group including the then Mayor of Leeds, John Barran.
After winning a competition, Leeds architect George Corson landscaped the park. Some parts of the estate were sold off for building plots but after the landscaping, the park reopened in 1872 to a crowd of 100,000 people.
A record crowd of 80,000 watched a rugby league sevens match between England and Australia in the park in 1933, won 29–11 by Australia. Plus, the area was once home to an open-air swimming pool
The park as it exists today is still very much as it was. However, with the addition of a cafe, playgrounds and Tropical World nearby it's more of an attraction.
Roundhay often has events such as cricket, geology and canoeing. They also host sports events like the Dragon Boat races and triathlons.
Roundhay is great for many things, however, just a stroll can clear your head. Time are often hard for a lot of people and a little wander with the birds chirping and the wind slightly blowing can be a nice thing, with, or without other people.
If you've never visited, which would be surprising, it's worth a detour outside the city - especially if you want to get away from the hustle and bustle for just a little bit.
