Beckett Park

Becketts Park is a large public park located in Kirkstall. It is 3 miles from Leeds City Centre and borders the popular areas Headingley, West Park and Kirkstall. The park offers great views over Kirkstall Valley.

The park incorporates Beckett Park Primary School and is an extension of Leeds Beckett University. The University changed its name in recent years to reflect its connection to the Park and historic buildings, which are part of the campus.

Beckett Park is owned by Wade’s Charity and managed by the Parks & Countryside Service of Leeds City Council. It is also cared for by the Friends of Beckett Park. The woods to the north belong to Leeds Beckett University.

There is a host of things to do at Beckett Park, perfect for students and families alike. Escape the hustle and bustle of Headingley and explore the lush greenery. Get active and immerse yourself in exercise and sports. Rediscover the beauty of childhood magic and discover the hidden fairy garden. Volunteer with your local community and make new friends.

Explore the Park

Beckett Park is full of lush greenery, trees, shrubs, wild flowers, grasses and fungi. It is home to small mammals and birds. If you are around at dusk you may see hedgehog, foxes and bats. Nesting boxes have been put up around the park to encourage wildlife to spread.

The park is a great place to explore throughout the seasons. Visit in the spring to see the cherry blossoms flourish and the wonderful carpet of bluebells in Batcliffe Wood. Admire the trees as the leaves change colour in the autumn months. In the snowy winters grab take to the hills with your sledge.

Venture through the woods, admire the sounds of nature and look up at the tall trees. Take your bike or go for a liberating run.

A Great Place for Children

If visiting with children be sure to visit the fairy garden. It is a great place to take the kids for a bit of nature! Compiled by visitors to the park a secret fairy garden has emerged. Can you spot the little fairies and their houses in the woods? Why don’t you make your own fairy house to go in the woods, or leave a message for a fairy when you find the fairy garden?

There is also a playground with swings and slides, for your little ones to enjoy.

Outdoor Sports

Beckett Park is a great place for sports enthusiasts. The playing fields provided a great opportunity for a kick around or game of rounders. Not a fan of the gym, why not give the free outdoor exercise equipment a go or up your tennis game one of the 3 tennis courts which are free to access throughout the year.

The park is a great place for runners. Enjoy the scenic setting on a morning whilst the rest of the city is sleeping to kick start your day.

There is also a small skate park with several small kick boxes, quarter pipes, and a spine.

With its scenic woodlands and wide paths, Beckett Park is also a great place for a bike ride.

Want to Volunteer at Beckett Park?

The Friends of Beckett Park take great pride in maintaining a wonderful space for all the community to enjoy. They put on regular tree planting, bench building, dry stone walling and flower planting events and are always looking for new volunteers to get involved. Interested? Head over to their website.

In the summer months the park puts on a community picnic and concert. You can find out more about events via The Friends of Beckett Park

Live close to the park and want to have a say in things? Join the Beckett Park Residents Association (BPRA)  to voice your opinions on all the community goings on.

Walk the Dog at Beckett Park

Beckett Park is a great place to take your four legged friend for a stroll. There is lots of open space for them to roam and explore, with dog bins dotted throughout the park.

The land where Beckett Park sits once belonged to Kirkstall Abbey before it was leased to the crown and bought by Willian Beckett in 1832. The land and buildings were sold by the Becket family in 1908 to the Leeds Corporation for £48,000 and turned into a training college and public park.

The college was repurposed as a hospital during the First and Second World Wars. It later evolved to become Leeds Polytechnic and then Leeds Metropolitan/ Leeds Beckett University. The campus includes some of the grand buildings from Beckett’s estate.

Victoria Arch

Hidden in the woods you’ll find a piece of History – a monument dedicated to Queen Victoria known as Victoria Arch, or Queenswood Monument when she visited Leeds in 1858. It was created by William Beckett as a way to flaunt his wealth and show off to the Queen, and to try and entice her to visit his grounds. Amusingly, Queen Victoria never actually visited the monument, or the grounds.

Side note, the surrounding woods is now know as ‘Queenwood’, and several nearby streets are called ‘Queenswood Drive’ and ‘Queenswood Place’ due to this event.

There are no toilet facilities at Becketts Park. Toilets are available in many of the eateries in Headingley for paying customers.

There are bins for both general waste and dog waste provided throughout the park.

Out with the family or taking a break from work or study? Take a perch on one of the many benches and tuck into your lunch or head into the woods for a teddy bear style picnic.

Located less than 10 minutes from the heart of Headingley, there are lots of places to indulge yourself in great food and drink after exploring Beckett Park.

Just some of the fabulous food venues to pick from include Sukhothai  which offers great authentic Thai food and Salvos  where you can indulge in all things Italian.

In the mood for some fresh local produce and some fancy drinks ? Visit Heaney & Mill which is a Deli and Cocktail Bar.

There are lots of bars in Headingley offering a variety of beverages to suit all tastes, including Arcadia Ale House, the BOX , and Woodies Ale House.

There is no designated car park at Beckett Park. On Street parking is available on the roads surrounding the park.

There are a number of on street parking spaces on Batcliffe Drive. Postcode LS6 3PW (Google Map link).

There is a large footpath running through the park that is pushchair and wheelchair accessible. Care will need to be taken when venturing through the woods as these paths are uneven and likely to be muddy.

Bikes are allowed in the park, with the woodlands being a great place to go for a cycle and enjoy nature.

Beckett Park can be reached via car by following the A660 from Leeds City Centre.

If travelling by bus, routes  1, 6, 56, 19, 19a, 49, 50, 50a from the city centre take you within close proximity of the park.