Entertaining little ones means you need to be constantly clued up on things to do.
It was my friend Charlotte’s suggestion that we visit Golden Acre Park and, on a sunny day, it proved the perfect place for us to take a stroll while our little ones peddled their trikes and bikes along the paths and tracks in this beautiful green oasis.
Savouring the rolling green scenery it’s hard to believe the park is only a short distance from the urban conurbations of Leeds and Bradford.
It’s also easy to appreciate why this handily-placed attraction is so popular.
We arrived mid-morning, giving the little ones plenty of chance to play before sitting down for lunch in the park café – a wonderful place overlooking the lake.
Having dined there before, Charlotte suggested that we head there just before lunch as it does get extremely busy and even on a sunny, albeit cool day, customers were queuing for the wonderful food prepared here.
There is a picnic site in the park for those wanting to take their own packed lunch.
Fed and refreshed, we headed back out into the park to discover more about the place.
Apparently, when Golden Acre Park opened back in 1932 it was a large amusement park – without big-thrill rides of course, although I’m told there was a water chute and helter-skelter slide, both daring attractions in those days!
Boats would sail around the lake,formerly Black Hill Dam, which had a music tower in the centre from where announcements were made.
In times past, Golden Acre Park also had a miniature railway. Evidence of this has been preserved in the railway garden, created from some original railway sleepers. Around the original station steps are narrow gauge tracks uncovered by park staff.
The Blue Lagoon, Golden Acre’s open-air swimming pool which has since been filled in, was among the attractions entertaining the many visitors who flocked here before the park’s closure in 1938.
The once-private enterprise remained derelict before being acquired by Leeds City Council in 1945.
Since reopening, the park’s popularity has grown and it’s now a place where visitors can come and spend precious time away from the interruptions of daily life.
The flora and fauna that Golden Acre yields would certainly appeal to naturalists or green-fingered enthusiasts.
All kinds of wildlife species have made their home in and around the 55 hectares of parkland and the adjacent conservation site, Breary Marsh Local Nature Reserve.
Transformation and reorganisation of the park’s beds and borders and the introduction of new features such as the limestone and sandstone rock gardens; heather, bog and late-season borders and the Courtyard and Display house, have widened Golden Acre’s appeal and no doubt contributed to its recognition in the the Green Flag Award, the national standard for parks and open spaces in England and Wales.
Leeds City Council also holds 11 National Plant Collections, three of which (lilacs, large-leaved hosta and hemerocallis) can be seen here.
The Demonstration Garden is designed to inspire those seeking ideas on how to style their own gardens, regardless of size.
Budding gardeners will find everything from tropical and cottage formal styles to a container garden. The Chrysanthemum and Dahlia societies also exhibit here too.
Woodland paths are bordered by many species of rhododendrum and azaleas, and you can check out the cheeky characters who live here too – the birds, rabbits and squirrels. The park is said to be a habitat for deer and foxes too.
The wildfowl around the lake, ducks and swans, are popular crowd-pullers and they were certainly appreciative of the bread being thrown their way by the gathering crowd we came across.
Following a brief stop for ice-creams, we strolled back along the pathways, through the woodland, savouring every bit of this peaceful oasis.
Spending a good few hours walking round makes you appreciate what is here. Golden Acre Park is a fantastic facility offering something for everyone – well worth a visit.
Factfile
- How to get there: From Bradford city centre head towards Apperley Bridge on the A658 Harrogate Road, go past Leeds Bradford Airport, turn right at the traffic lights by the Dyneley Arms pub in Otley Road, Bramhope, and continue along the A660 until signs for Golden Acre Park.
- The park is located at Bramhope about six miles north-west of the centre of Leeds. Summer opening times are Monday to Friday, 10.30am to 4.30pm, and Saturdays and Sundays, 10.30am to 5pm. Winter opening is Monday to Sunday, 10am to 3.30pm. For more information call (0113) 2613064 or visit leeds.gov.uk
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