Nan Whins Wood

Nan Whins Wood is what’s beautiful about Yorkshire, just a 15 minutes drive from the centre of Leeds, and you’ll find yourself within a perfect tranquil escape into nature. The dense woodland makes you forget the world around with its tall trees and steady bubbling beck. A perfect place for a walk in the shade.

Once you’ve finished in the woods, how about walking to Tong Lane. From there it is possible to take a peek at the rolling hills and the marvellous countryside West Yorkshire has to offer.

Nan Whins Wood is free for the public to walk through at their leisure. Pudsey Beck itself is too shallow to swim or fish in. It is however, perfect for dipping your toes. If you’ve packed lunch you can sit on one of the few benches scattered about the path.

Cycle at Nan Whins Wood

Cyclists have a pretty steep climb if they wish to pass through here as only the higher path is available to them, the lower path beside Pudsey Beck is uneven and too narrow at parts. That said, there is nothing like a good challenge!

Walk in Nan Whins Wood

There is such a varied terrain in a relatively small place. Starting from the woods there is a steady slop alongside Pudsey Beck, then you can either continue in the woods or break out onto the fields along the top of the wood. This route than loops back into the woods and back to the car park.

Alternatively for those looking for a longer walk, you can cross the beck and explore the Village of Tong. Which is a lovely Yorkshire village – well worth a look if you have the time.

Walk the Dog

Nan Whins Wood is a great place for walking the dog. If you are looking for places to walk near you, this is the one! You have the option of two routes and Pudsey beck offers the perfect place for a quick cool down for your furry friend. Along with the shade it’s the perfect place to take your pooch on those hot summer days. The paths have recently been improved. and are now a lot easy to walk and a lot less muddy! Bins are located at the entrances for your dog’s waste.

Run in Nan Whins Wood

Nan Whins is also a great place to run, either as its own short route or part of a longer journey. Leeds Run Routes have put together a 10km run route around Pudsey and Tong that passes through these woods. This is the Pudsey and Tong Loop.

The wood itself is believed to be the location where the meeting place for Farnley Wood Plot took place. Farnley, being halfway between Morley and Leeds and a large wooded area, was the perfect location to meet in numbers. Farnley Wood Plot was an attempted plot against King Charles II led by Captain Thomas Oates.

The plot failed due to poor turn out on the 12th of October 1663. This resulted in twenty-six men being arrested and executed as traitors, some of whom were hanged, drawn and quartered.

This area was also heavily mined, and there are signs of this throughout the wood. If you take the bridleway route you will come across an old circular brick air shaft, a number of which can also been seen on the 1908 OS map. There are also a number of dips and mounds in the land, and carved/dressed stone.

For those who want to sit and enjoy the tranquil nature around them, there are benches periodically throughout the paths.

Bins are located at the entrances but none throughout the paths. There are no public toilets either in Nan Whins Woods or nearby.

Located out of the way by mainly farmland, the nearest places for food and drink are a 25 minute walk. You will need to get to Tong village which has lovely pubs such as The Greyhound. Unfortunately despite being named after a dog it isn’t dog friendly.

For those with dogs can check out the lovely The Fleece pub in Pudsey just a 33 minute walk that will welcome your waggy tailed friend with open arms.

If you are looking for parking for Nan Whins Wood (or Sykes Wood) then you have  a couple of options.

• One of the more easier places is alongside the Pudsey Dog Park on Roker Lane. There is a lot of road side parking here, and only moments away from the entrance to the wood. The postcode is: LS28 9NE (Google Map Directions)
• Parking is also available at laybys off Tong Lane. There are not many spaces, but the good news is they are free! Postcode is: LS12 5HG (Google Map Directions). From there it’s a quick 2 minute talk past the stables into the woods. It’s worth noting that the footpath past the stables is somewhat overgrown.

With the paths being quite steep and uneven it isn’t the most accessible place for those with wheelchairs and buggies. This is especially the case after it has been raining as the paths become quite muddy.

Although not the most even ground for cycling, if you fancy a challenge the steeper path is an option for budding cyclists. The lower path that runs beside the beck however, would be unsafe due to it getting too narrow at parts that even walking one had to steady themselves with their hands.

Access to those without a car is somewhat limited due to its location, but Buses 254 and 255 have routes that go past Nan Whins Wood. No train stations are within walking distance.