St Aidan's

We're working hard to make our nature reserves safe and ready for our staff, visitors and wildlife. Many have now re-opened in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, although some facilities are not yet available. Some reserves remain closed for now. See our COVID-19 updates page for the latest information (link below).

Address: RSPB St Aidan's Nature Park, Astley Lane, Leeds LS26 8AL

Grid ref: SE399287

See our updates page to see which reserves are open.

Our visitor centre and toilets remain closed. We have opened our trails and car park, but please be mindful that they have very limited capacity.

We urge our visitors to please stay local to your nearest reserves and green spaces. Anyone choosing to visit should observe all current government advice around social distancing and hygiene.

Just a stone’s throw from the centre of Leeds, St Aidan’s is a stunning park to explore. Whether you’re on foot, on your bike or have your camera at the ready, take advantage of the amazing views and wonderful wildlife including bitterns, avocets, black terns, skylarks and meadow pipits.

Plan your visit

Between February and October, the reserve is open 9:30am - 5pm (car park shuts at 8pm).
Between November and January, the reserve is open 9am - 4pm (car park shuts at 4pm).
Closed on Christmas Day.

Free entrance to RSPB members: Yes

Adults: Free, but a charge for non-members of £4 per car.

Children: Free

Car park cost

Entry is free of charge to members all year.
There is a charge for non-members of £4 per car.
Parking is free for members and disabled badge holders, but for non-members only the first 30 minutes are free.

Other discounts

Joint entry for both Fairburn Ings and St Aidan’s is £5 per car for non-members.

Facilities

Visitor centre
Car park
Toilets
Accessible toilets
Pushchair friendly
Refreshments
Picnic area
Guided walks
Nature trails

Accessibility

Download full accessibility statement (PDF)

How to get here

By train

The nearest railway station is Woodlesford, which is 3 miles (5km) away or Garforth, which is 4 miles away. There is a taxi firm based at Garforth station and taxis can access Woodlesford.

By bus

Buses run to Allerton Bywater from Leeds City Centre and Castleford (bus service 167). The nearest bus stop is Bowers Row stop number 45010157. This is 0.2 miles from the visitor centre.

By bike

The nearest Sustrans Cycle routes are the National Route 67 - Trans Pennine Trail Central, Yorks and Derbyshire and the National Route 697. Both of these run right next to the site.

By road

Leave the M1 at junction 46 towards Garforth follow the Selby Road/A63, turn right at the roundabout onto A642, turn left after 1.4 miles onto Astley Lane, the reserve is on the right after 1.5 miles.

Sat nav POI file: If you have a satellite navigation system that can accept POI files, please see our POI page for a download link and instructions.

Other ways to get there

St Aidan’s can be accessed via several cycle routes. The Linesway from Garforth is connected directly into St Aidan’s from the East and the Transpennine trail connects onto the site from 3 access points on the south side.

Get directions from Google Maps

RSPB reserves on Google Earth

Dogs are welcome throughout the site but we ask that they are kept on a lead or under close control to protect wildlife.

14 degrees, Sunny day

Downloads

Find your way around St Aidan's. PDF, 714Kb.

Map of RSPB St Aidan's reserve

Contact St Aidan's

RSPB St Aidan's Nature Park, Astley Lane, Leeds LS26 8AL
staidans@rspb.org.uk
01132 320529
@RSPBAireValley
Find us on facebook

What will you see?

Our star species

Bittern

Listen to bitterns boom as they lurk amongst the reeds between March and May.

Black-headed gull

The black-headed gull colony at St Aidan’s can reach approximately 1000 pairs in spring and summer. It’s a spectacle for all the senses and provides cover from predators for rarer birds.

Skylark

Throughout spring and summer skylarks can be heard singing overhead as they search for mates and defend territory; flying so high they almost disappear, before descending on open wings.

Marsh harrier

Marsh harrier can be seen soaring and hunting all year round at St Aidan’s, watch for them quartering over the reedtops and wet grassland looking of prey.

Short-eared owl

In winter, short eared owls can be seen hunting along the hillsides. Sometimes described as giant moths, these silent hunters glide on languid wingbeats.

Everything is starting to sing, pair up and build nests. Skylarks are starting to sing and bitterns starting to boom. Watch great crested grebes dance on the lakes and the black-headed gulls start to gather.

See broods of gosling nestled in. The nesting islands are a mass of activity as common tern and black-headed gull chicks hatch. Iridescent dragonflies bask on and around the trails and the grasslands are alive with the bright colours of flowers, bees and butterflies.

Thousands of wading birds pass through the Aire Valley on their migration, such as green sandpipers and black-tailed godwits. Large numbers of starlings start to gather and as the autumn progresses, the murmurations build. Watch huge flocks of starlings dance and swoop down into the reedbeds just to the side of the path to go to sleep safely for the night.

Large flocks of wigeon graze on the wet grassland. Flocks of wintering waders take to the skies when a peregrine appears on the lookout for a meal.

About St Aidan's

Habitat

The main trails at St Aidan's take you amongst a variety of habitats including reedbed, wetland, meadows and woodland.

Conservation

St Aidan’s Nature Park is managed by the RSPB for visitors and wildlife, on behalf of Leeds City Council.

Site information

Enjoy panoramic views of the site from the visitor centre, where the sunsets can be incredible. There are 12km of trails, plus the transpennine trail which passes the nature park on the southern side.

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