St Aidan's

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

Grid ref: SE399287

What3Words: whirlpool.wiggles.joints

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

Nature reserve: open daily, dawn-dusk.
Welcome point: open daily
10am-5pm, 1 March-31 October.
10am-4pm, 1 November-28 February.
Car park: open daily
6am-8pm, 1 March-31 October.
6am-6pm, 1 November-28 February.
Cafe: available daily
10am-4.30pm, 1 March-31 October.
10am-3.30pm, 1 November-28 February.
Toilets: open daily
10am-5pm, 1 March-31 October.
10am-4pm, 1 November-28 February.

Festive opening times

Christmas Eve: nature reserve open dawn-dusk; car park open, 6am-6pm. Cafe and toilets open, 10am-3pm.
Christmas Day: nature reserve open dawn-dusk; car park open, 6am-6pm. Cafe and toilets closed.
Boxing Day: nature reserve open dawn-dusk; car park open, 6am-6pm. Cafe and toilets closed.
New Year’s Eve: nature reserve open dawn-dusk; car park open, 6am-6pm. Cafe and toilets open, 10am-4pm.
New Year’s Day: nature reserve open dawn-dusk; car park open, 6am-6pm. Cafe and toilets open, 10am-4pm.
All other days in the festive period are open our usual winter opening hours as above.

Free entrance to RSPB members: Yes

Adults: Free but donations to support the work of the RSPB are welcome.

Children: Free but donations to support the work of the RSPB are welcome.

Car park cost

There are no entry fees to the nature reserve, but the following parking charges apply:

RSPB members: FREE
(please display your membership card face down in your windscreen)
Non-members: £4 per vehicle
Blue badge holders: FREE
(please display your badge in your windscreen)

Other discounts

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

Facilities

Car park
Toilets
Accessible toilets
Baby changing
Pushchair friendly
Café
Picnic area
Binocular hire
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

Dogs are welcome on the public footpaths and bridleways around the nature reserve. Please keep to the designated rights of way only.

Please keep your dog on a lead and under close, effective control at all times, due to the sensitive wildlife, habitats and livestock 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. Even if dogs are very well behaved, wildlife and livestock 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.

Bringing a flock? We welcome group bookings.

Please notify us of your visit in advance.

If you are a nature tour leader, we would love to work with you to make the most of your trip for your guests.

For all group visits, please contact us on 0113 232 0529 or by emailing staidans@rspb.org.uk so we can arrange your visit to your specific requirements.

We have no formal educational facilities here at St Aidan's. However, at our nearby Fairburn Ings nature reserve, just 10 minutes away, we offer an exciting programme of curriculum-linked outdoor education sessions, visit our school trips information for details.

Also, 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

St Aidan's may not be our biggest reserve, but it is alive with wildlife. Its relatively small size means you can easily explore a rich variety of habitats including reedbeds, wetlands, meadows and woodland.

Conservation

St Aidan's is a haven for wildlife, including for nationally rare species such as bitterns. The site is managed by the RSPB on behalf of Leeds City Council.

Site information

To get a good overall view of the site, head to the visitor centre, where the sunsets can be spectacular.
The 12km of trails around the nature park take you out on an adventure to seek out some of the wildlife which live here.

For those wanting a longer walk, the Trans Pennine Trail passes the nature park on the southern side.

Latest blog posts

Read our blog

Activities and events

Activities for children and families

For more information on events and to book tickets, please visit events.rspb.org.uk/staidans

St Aidan's