Roundhay Parks Visitor Centre
The Visitor Centre is based in the conservatory at the Mansion and celebrates the rich history and culture of Roundhay Park through an exciting and innovative public exhibition which communicates fascinating information for all ages through interpretation and interactive exhibits.
Many of the exhibits connect directly with our park visitors through audio memories and also through the many items of archive material donated to Roundhay Park over the years.
The Visitor Centre also has a shop which sells leaflets, books and souvenirs of Roundhay Park as well as more general gifts for all the family.
Admission to the exhibition area is free and is open from 10am - 4pm in winter and 10am - 6pm in summer. Open all year except, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day.
The Visitor Centre also has public toilet facilities and pre-bookable access scooters available on loan.
Roundhay Park is also proud to announce the opening of two, purpose built, education rooms situated at the Mansion. These rooms are only available to pre booked groups - please contact the visitor services team for more information.
Roundhay Park spans over 700 acres of rolling parkland, lakes, woodlands and gardens and is home to Tropical World, which attracts thousands of visitors all year round.
How to find us
Roundhay Park is 3 miles north of Leeds city centre off the A58 Wetherby Road at Oakwood.
For further information, please contact the Roundhay Park Visitor Services Team - 0113 214 5715.
Please note that the Parks and Countryside's Head Office main reception telephone number 0113 3957400 is staffed from 8.00am - 4.30pm Monday to Thursday and 8.00am - 4.00pm on a Friday. Outside of these hours you can leave a message on the answerphone.
Getting to Roundhay Park.
Buses to and from Leeds 2 and 12.
Access
Roundhay Park is accessible to wheelchair users.
For information about disabled access to this venue please see the disabled go link on the right hand side of the page.
Roundhay Park today
Within the park you can find an abundance of wildlife including woodpeckers, common warblers in spring and summer, mute swans, visiting whooper swans, great-crested grebes and herons. Mammals include foxes, roe deer, voles, moles, rabbits and grey squirrels. There are good crops of crocus in spring, followed by daffodils and bluebells and gorse is present in the northern side of the park.
The Monet Garden, which is based on the gardens planted by the French Impressionist ‘Monet’ at Giverny in France, was introduced to the park during summer 1999.
Adjoining this is the Alhambra Garden which is based on one of the world’s most famous gardens, the 13th century garden at the Alhambra, Spain. The gardens echo parts of the gardens of Generalife including the Patio de la Acequia, Patio de la Sultana, Mirador of Partal Gardens including fountains and formal hedged gardens.
Roundhay Park is also home to Tropical World, a tropical island adventure which is fun for all the family. Exotic butterflies and birds roam free around the recreated rainforest environment. Leaving the rainforest you find yourself in the desert, home to the Meerkats and Cacti. Day soon turns to night as you venture into the nocturnal zone to meet some animals that only come out in the dark.
Next to to Tropical World are the walled gardens known locally as Canal Gardens, formerly a vegetable garden for the mansion. Surrounded by a high wall, it is a sheltered sun trap and there are literally thousands of rose trees and bedding plant designs, including a new children's interest garden.
Two former Chelsea gardens are situated here along with the 'Friends of Roundhay Park' garden which formally opened in July 2005 and provides a popular yet tranquil space enjoyed by all ages.
Roundhay Park also offers many different sporting facilities including a skateboard park, bowling greens, White Rose canoe club, tennis courts, football and cricket pitches and a grass cycling track.
Roundhay Park has almost reached completion of an £8 million Heritage Lottery Fund Restoration Project.
This exciting opportunity will restore the landscape design known as 'Picturesque Landscape'.
Restoration works have restored and repaired existing buildings and structures and enhanced and improved existing pathways and public facilities. New features of the restoration project include a fully accessible children's play area, newly designed and landscaped gardens, new street furniture and the future provision of a visitor and education centre.
When the restoration is complete it is expected that it will be regarded as a Grade 2* park which indicates its exceptional national significance.
For more information on the park and its facilities, please call the Visitor Services Team on 0113 214 5715.
Roundhay Park Road Train
The Roundhay Rambler runs daily throughout the summer months. Travelling around Roundhay Park, passing the Mansion, Lakeside, Upper Lake, Waterloo Lake, Barrans Fountain and the historical Victorian shelters.
The early history of the park
The word 'Roundhay' originates from the Anglo-Saxon 'Rund-haeg' meaning circular hay or round enclosure.
Roundhay Park was originally a hunting park for the De Lacy family during the thirteenth century. Ilbert De Lacy was granted the estate by William the Conqueror in return for his loyal support of the King during his military campaigns.
The Nicholson family
In 1803 the entire estate was purchased by Thomas Nicholson, who developed the natural features of the park into an impressive country estate complete with ravine, gorge, top lake, landscaped gardens, woodland walkways and waterfalls.
In 1811, Nicholson commissioned the architect John Clarke to begin work designing a mansion. It took fifteen years to complete the building.
The mansion was constructed in Greek Revival style and was the perfect house for the successful businessman. The mansion had seventeen bedrooms in total and a drive that was three quarters of a mile long.
The sham castle, known as a folly, was designed in the form of a medieval gateway. Every fashionable park had a folly, as a place of retreat and contemplation. Originally the castle had a wooden roof which allowed for dinners and social activities to take place.
The most impressive design was the 33-acre lower lake constructed in just two years by soldiers who had returned from the recent Napoleonic wars. The lake was aptly named the ‘Waterloo Lake’.
In 1871 a family death with no heir to the estate resulted in the court of chancery issuing a decree empowering lawyers to sell the park.
The purchase of the park for the people of Leeds
In 1871, Sir John Barran, Mayor of Leeds, acquired the estate for the people of Leeds. On the 20th of September 1872, Prince Arthur officially opened Roundhay Estate as a public park and was cheered on by 100,000 people.
In 1882 Sir John Barran presented an ornate drinking fountain as a personal gift to the park. This is known as Barran's Fountain. The fountain is designed in the classical style of architecture, to compliment the mansion.
The recent history of the park
With new roads and a tramway constructed, the park was accessible for all. The increased popularity of the park encouraged new amenities.
In 1894 a vast sports arena and grass cycling track were built.
Boating became popular on the lake so a steamboat, the Maid of Athens, took visitors on trips around Waterloo Lake. An outdoor swimming pool, known as a Lido, was also added in 1907. It was very popular and stayed open until the early 1980s.
The park became a venue for spectacular events such as a realistic naval re-enactment on Waterloo Lake where a fully rigged ship was destroyed by a torpedo and the tightrope walker, Charles Blondin, aged 72, crossed the Upper Lake on a high wire.