Golden Acre Park
Encyclopedia
Golden Acre Park is a public park between Adel
and Bramhope
, Leeds
, West Yorkshire
, England
, administered by Leeds City Council
. It is on the A660
Otley Road and covers an area of 137 acres (55.4 ha).
It opened as a privately run amusement park in 1932 with a miniature railway, swimming pool and boating lake, but closed during the Second World War
and was taken over by the Council in 1945. The lake was formed by damming Adel
Beck and was larger than at present.
The park has a lake with wildfowl, informal gardens, demonstration gardens, a special collection of heathers
, and woodland and open spaces. The gardens contain the National Plant Collection
s of Lilac
, Deutzia
, Hosta
and Hemerocallis
.
The park is on the east side of the A660 road
. On the west side is a car park and Breary Marsh
nature reserve
, with a pedestrian tunnel under the road joining them to the main park. The Leeds Country Way
passes through the park, and the Meanwood Valley Trail
links the park to Woodhouse Moor
.
Facilities include a cafe (with indoor and outdoor seating), a number of benches, a bird feeding shelter and numerous picnic benches. The park is usually well kept all year round.
Adel, Leeds
Adel is a suburb in North Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is situated between Cookridge, Holt Park, Weetwood and Alwoodley. To the north are the villages of Arthington and Bramhope and the market town of Otley...
and Bramhope
Bramhope
Bramhope is a village and civil parish in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, West Yorkshire, England, north of Holt Park and north east of Cookridge....
, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, administered by Leeds City Council
Leeds City Council
Leeds City Council is the local authority for the City of Leeds metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England.-History:The city council was established in 1974, with the first elections being held in advance in 1973...
. It is on the A660
A660 road
The A660 is a major road in West Yorkshire, England that runs from Leeds to Burley-in-Wharfedale where it meets the A65. The A660 is approximately long, and crosses the watershed from Airedale to lower Wharfedale...
Otley Road and covers an area of 137 acres (55.4 ha).
It opened as a privately run amusement park in 1932 with a miniature railway, swimming pool and boating lake, but closed during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and was taken over by the Council in 1945. The lake was formed by damming Adel
Adel, Leeds
Adel is a suburb in North Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is situated between Cookridge, Holt Park, Weetwood and Alwoodley. To the north are the villages of Arthington and Bramhope and the market town of Otley...
Beck and was larger than at present.
The park has a lake with wildfowl, informal gardens, demonstration gardens, a special collection of heathers
Calluna
Calluna vulgaris is the sole species in the genus Calluna in the family Ericaceae. It is a low-growing perennial shrub growing to tall, or rarely to and taller, and is found widely in Europe and Asia Minor on acidic soils in open sunny situations and in moderate shade...
, and woodland and open spaces. The gardens contain the National Plant Collection
NCCPG National Plant Collection
The NCCPG National Plant Collection scheme is the main conservation vehicle whereby the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens can accomplish its mission: to conserve, grow, propagate, document and make available the resource of garden plants that exists in the United...
s of Lilac
Lilac
Syringa is a genus of about 20–25 species of flowering woody plants in the olive family , native to woodland and scrub from southeastern Europe to eastern Asia, and widely and commonly cultivated in temperate areas elsewhere....
, Deutzia
Deutzia
Deutzia is a genus of about 60 species of shrubs in the family Hydrangeaceae, native to eastern and central Asia , and Central America and also Europe. By far the highest species diversity is in China, where 50 species occur.The species are shrubs ranging from 1–4 m in height...
, Hosta
Hosta
Hosta is a genus of about 23–45 species of lily-like plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae, native to northeast Asia. They have been placed in their own family, Hostaceae ; like many 'lilioid monocots', they were once classified in the Liliaceae...
and Hemerocallis
Daylily
Daylily is the general nonscientific name of a species, hybrid or cultivar of the genus Hemerocallis . Daylily cultivar flowers are highly diverse in colour and form, as a result of hybridization efforts of gardening enthusiasts and professional horticulturalists...
.
The park is on the east side of the A660 road
A660 road
The A660 is a major road in West Yorkshire, England that runs from Leeds to Burley-in-Wharfedale where it meets the A65. The A660 is approximately long, and crosses the watershed from Airedale to lower Wharfedale...
. On the west side is a car park and Breary Marsh
Breary Marsh
Breary Marsh is a nature reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest situated adjacent to Golden Acre Park in Leeds, .As the name suggests, it includes an area of marshland, but also a wet alder valley wood. Wooden walkways are provided over marsh area...
nature reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
, with a pedestrian tunnel under the road joining them to the main park. The Leeds Country Way
Leeds Country Way
The Leeds Country Way is a circular long-distance footpath of 62 miles around Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is never more than 7 miles from Leeds City Square, but is mainly rural with extensive views in the outlying areas of the Leeds metropolitan district...
passes through the park, and the Meanwood Valley Trail
Meanwood Valley Trail
The Meanwood Valley Trail is a waymarked footpath and annual footrace route in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It runs for a distance of from the statue of Henry Rowland Marsden, 1878, on Woodhouse Moor, close to the University of Leeds, through Headingley, Meanwood and Adel to Breary Marsh,...
links the park to Woodhouse Moor
Woodhouse Moor
Woodhouse Moor is an open space approximately one mile from Leeds city centre, West Yorkshire, England. Today it consists of 3 parts: a formal park, Woodhouse Moor , of around 26 hectares in area on the west of Woodhouse Lane , and two other open areas on the east of it...
.
Facilities include a cafe (with indoor and outdoor seating), a number of benches, a bird feeding shelter and numerous picnic benches. The park is usually well kept all year round.