Roundhay Park

Football

Roundhay Park on Soldiers Field is a great place for organised football matches for a variety of ages and abilities. All of the pitches are grass. There are eight adult full sized pitches with fixed goals; 3 junior sized pitches for 9v9; 1 mini junior 5v5 pitch; and 4  junior 7v7 pitches.

Rugby

You will find a full sized rugby pitch with two goals on Soldiers Field.

Cricket

Roundhay park has had two non-turf pitches that are playable in different weather conditions. These have recently been installed on the wide open green space of Soldiers Fields.

A grass wicket is located in a circular green bowl near the Lakeside café.

Cycling

You will find a grass track cycling velodrome in the same green bowl as the grass cricket wicket near Lakeside café. The track is ideal for both children and adults; it is perfect for a novice giving track racing a go and if you crash the grass softens the blow so much more than the tarmac. ‘

Tennis Courts

There are 16-tennis-courts to use at Roundhay Park. It is one of the biggest public open tennis court areas in the city.

Do I need to book a tennis court?

It’s free to use the tennis court but you will need to book a court space on the LTA clubspark website.

Skatepark

The skatepark is on Princes Avenue at the northern end of Soldiers Fields. The skatepark is on a tarmac base and built up with metal ramps; there are a back and forth run with quarter pipes and funboxes with flat banks either side.

Playgrounds

There are two separate play areas in Roundhay Park.

The playground alongside the skatepark has one of the biggest slides and climbing frames in the park.

Next to the Lakeside Café, is the second playground which was opened in 2019. It has accessible play equipment. The features include a castle, pirate ship, static train, swings, somersault bars, an explorer’s bridge and a roundabout.

For a walking adventure we recommend you take one of 2 of the Roundhay park children’s adventure trails. Get lost in the story as you follow the route; taking on tasks and solving clues to complete your mission!

Take a look at our break down of the best playgrounds in Leeds.

Fishing at Roundhay Park

Fishing is permitted at Roundhay Park on Waterloo Lake. Be careful to avoid the restricted Dam and Bywash and boating areas though.

Roundhay Park used to be a premier match water, holding major fishing competitions. It currently holds large number of carp and pike. Currently the fishing is free and no day ticket is required, however you still need a rod licence.

The nearest pegs to the cafe offer hard standing and are suitable for anglers with disabilities.

Fish stocks include roach up to 2lb, pike 20lb+, perch 3lb+, tench, bream 7lb +, and carp 20lb+.

Running and Walking Around Roundhay Park

Looking for somewhere to walk or run near you? Maybe new to the area and not sure where to go?

Organised by volunteers who love their running, Roundhay Park hosts a free to enter parkrun at 9am every Saturday. It is open to all abilities, and the only thing you need to do is register before you attend your first one! Take a look at the running route here.

If you would rather something at a slower pace, Roundhay Park is a great place to stretch out your legs and have a gentle explore. There are a few ‘official’ routes around the park, varying from a 0.7km route up to a 2.7km. These can be found at the official Rounday Park website.

Looking for something new?

Why not take the 8 minute Land train from the Lakeside Café, along Middle Walk to the park gates – £1.50 for a single or £2 for a return.

Fancy some golf? Roundhay park has a 9 hole Golf Course offering fantastic value for money at £8.50 a round.

Dog walking is very popular in the park, offering lots of places for your canine to safely explore and roam.

White Rose Canoeing Club offers £5 ‘come and try’ sessions which must be booked in advance.

Adjacent to the park is the wonderful Tropical World indoor Wildlife Park, offering an unforgettable day out. Home to exciting and exotic animals including bats, snakes, butterflies, meerkats and monkeys, Tropical World also has the second largest selection of tropical plants in the UK.

Entry prices, opening hours & more information on Tropical World can be found here: https://tropicalworld.leeds.gov.uk

With so much to do Roundhay Park there is a Visitor Centre on site and information boards dotted throughout the park. Grab a Map of Roundhay Park so you don’t get lost.

Looking for a longer walk?

Wyke Beck Valley Way is a good choice if you are looking for a longer walk. The route is 10km and well signposted, connecting Roundhay Park with Template Newsam. It passes through Giptop, Seacroft, and Killingbeck, circumnavigating the inner ring of east Leeds.

When starting from Roundhay Park this route is a gentle downward gradient all the way to Temple Newsam.

Roundhay Park was once a hunting ground gifted to Ilbert De Lacy by William the Conqueror in the 11th Century. Since then it has been passed to many noblemen and was once owned by Henry IV and Henry VIII. It was under Thomas Nicholson’s ownership in the 19th century that the two lakes were dug by veteran soldiers.

Waterloo Lake was built by soldiers after their return from the Napoleonic Wars after the Battle of Waterloo. In 1871 Roundhay Park was put up for sale and bought by Leeds City Council for £139,000.

Public toilets and baby changing facilities are located by the Lakeside Café.

There are also customer toilets located within Tropical World, The Roundhay Fox & The Mansion.

Dining al fresco with a picnic within the park is both permitted and recommended, there are plenty of picnic benches and bins throughout the park. Roundhay Park features in our best place for a picnic rundown!

There are also a number of places to grab food and refreshments.

Stop for a bite at the Lakeside Cafe, located by the Lakeside Car park or treat yourself to a Fancy afternoon tea at The Garden Room, situated within the Mansion. There is also a café situated within Tropical World.

If you are looking for a pub near Roundhay Park, the closest would be the Roundhay Fox. They do a decent pint and some proper pub grub. If you are looking for a proper sit down mean, maybe head to the family owned Mediterranean Restaurant Del Verde.

There are five car parks available for free at Roundhay Park.

• The south end of the park off Wetherby Road – Postcode LS8 2LE (Google map location)
• The end of Park Avenue by the Lakeside Cafe – Postcode LS8 2JL (Google map location)
• The west side of the park by the old tram station off Princes Avenue – Postcode LS8 2EP (Google map location)
• Behind the Roundhay Fox pub off Mansion Lane – Postcode LS8 2EP (Google map location)
• The end of Mansion Lane by the Mansion House Hotel – Postcode LS8 2HH (Google map location) Be careful as this car park has a two hour limit.

There are three disabled parking bays on Mansion Lane and a larger bay that can take five cars outside Tropical World.

Most of the paths are accessible for wheelchairs, buggies and the like. The majority of the grass areas are fairly wheelchair friendly, but care should be taken after rain or on a wet day. There are some areas that may not be accessible, but these are few in number compared to the expanse of the park.

The park is easily accessible via bus from around Leeds and further afield.

Buses 2,3, 3a, 12, 13 and 13A will take you directly from Leeds City Centre to the park.