St Aidan's

We’re delighted to have many of our facilities open for your visit, and you’ll notice we’ve made some changes to help keep everyone safe. See full facility details below and our blog for more information. When visiting us please follow current Government guidance around social distancing, group sizes, hygiene and follow all signage on-site. Unless exempt, all those who can, must please wear a face covering in our toilets. See our Covid-19 updates page for the latest safety information (link below). We can’t wait to see you!

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

Grid ref: SE399287

What3Words: whirlpool.wiggles.joints

See our reserves Covid-19 updates page for which sites are open and other important details.

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, riding your horse 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

Car park: Open, daily 6am-8pm. Closed outside of these hours.
Toilets: Open daily, 9.30am-5pm.
Visitor Centre: Closed.
Refreshments: Open daily, 9.30am-5pm (take away refreshments only)

Festive opening times:

Christmas Eve: visitor centre and toilets are closed. Car park and trails open 6am- 6pm.
Christmas Day: visitor centre and toilets are closed. Car park and trails open 6am- 6pm.
Boxing Day: visitor centre and toilets are closed. Car park and trails open 6am- 6pm.
New Year’s Eve: Visitor centre and toilets open 10am-4pm. Car park and trails open 6am- 6pm.
New Year’s Day: Visitor centre and toilets open 10am-4pm. Car park and trails open 6am- 6pm.
All other days in the festive period are open our usual winter opening hours as above.

Free entrance to RSPB members: Yes

Adults: Free

Children: Free

Car park cost

There are no entrance charges to the reserve, but the following car parking charges apply:

RSPB members: FREE (please get a free members ticket from our car parking machine and display along with your membership card (face down) in your windscreen)
Non-members: £4 per car
Blue badge holders: FREE

Facilities

Visitor centre is closed
Car park
Toilets
Accessible toilets
Baby changing
Pushchair friendly
Refreshments
Picnic area
Binocular hire is closed
Guided walks
Nature trails

Accessibility

Full accessibility information (external website)

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

View on What3Words

RSPB reserves on Google Earth

Please keep your dog on a lead and under close, effective control at all times, due to the sensitive wildlife and habitats here.

We know that the countryside is a dog walking paradise. It’s important to remember the special surroundings here are wonderful havens for rare wildlife so we’ve created a designated recreation area for you and your pooch to enjoy. Even if dogs are very well behaved, wildlife can easily become startled by a loose dog they perceive as a predator.

Disturbing wildlife does more than simply causing it to move away; it uses up their energy, decreasing their chance of survival regardless of season. Thank you for protecting the special wildlife here by keeping your dog on a lead and under close, effective control.

Dogs are welcome in the recreation area, indicated in grey hatching on our site maps.
Dog water bowls and tie-up area are available at the visitor centre.
Sorry, dogs aren’t permitted in the visitor centre other than assistance dogs.
Dogs die in hot cars, please do not leave your dog in the car when visiting us.

Groups are usually welcome to visit us during normal opening hours. However, changes to laws in England mean that the maximum group size able to visit our reserves together is currently 6, unless you are from the same household or bubble.

Due to Covid-19 measures, we have temporarily paused our school visits until autumn 2021. For information on our exciting programme of curriculum-linked outdoor education sessions, visit our school trip information.

In the meantime, check out our fantastic range of resources for teachers, or take on the Schools’ Wild Challenge.

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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