Woodhouse Ridge
ENTRY
Free
SETTING
Outdoors
BUGGY FRIENDLY
Yes
What it’s like
A free woodland walk above Meanwood Road with a heritage trail, muddy steps and picnic spots to make a slow afternoon of it.
This is a strip of wooded ridge rather than a park with a car park and a café, and that's rather the point. Trails wind through the trees with a heritage route pointing out Victorian and Edwardian bits of history, which gives a walk with a seven or eight-year-old some actual purpose instead of just "come on, keep going". There's a festival some of the year with family activities too, if your visit happens to land on it.
The top tier is the one to head for with a buggy or a wheelchair, a flat, accessible route that doesn't ask questions of your arms. Drop below that and you're into proper ridge walking, with steps and mud after rain, so a toddler in wellies is a different day out from a baby in a pram. Grass areas with shade are dotted along the ridge, so a picnic blanket and some sandwiches turn a there-and-back walk into a whole afternoon.
Parking is free on Ridge Road, which is one less thing to budget for on a day when you're not paying for entry either. Dogs are properly welcome here, with water and shade for them too, so if the walk is really for the dog and the kids are just coming along, that works fine. The 51 or 52 bus from the city centre gets you to Meanwood Road in about twenty minutes if you'd rather not deal with parking at all.
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- Good for buggy-age toddlers on the top tier, older kids on the full ridge
- Parking
- Free on Ridge Road
- Picnics
- Picnic spots available in grass areas with shade throughout the ridge
- Pushchairs
- Top tier accessible for pushchairs
- Wheelchairs
- Top tier route suitable for wheelchairs
- Dogs
- Welcome. Ideal for walking dogs with access to water and shade
- Getting there by bus or train
- First Bus 51/52 from city centre to Meanwood Road (adjacent), 20 minutes
- The top tier route is the one for buggies and wheelchairs; the lower paths have steps and mud
- Dogs are welcome with water and shade along the way
- There's a heritage trail with Victorian and Edwardian history if you fancy a theme for the walk
- A family festival runs on the ridge at points in the year
Plan your visit
Is it free to visit?
Yes, there's no entry charge. Parking on Ridge Road is free as well.
Can we get round with a pushchair or wheelchair?
The top tier route is flat and manageable for both. The lower routes have steps and get muddy after rain, so they suit older kids on foot better.
Is it OK for a toddler?
The top tier is an easy, level walk for little legs or a buggy. The steeper paths with steps are more of a challenge for a small child.
Can we bring a picnic?
There are grass areas with shade dotted along the ridge, so pick a spot and settle in.
How do we get there without a car?
The First Bus 51 or 52 from the city centre stops at Meanwood Road, right next to the ridge, in about twenty minutes. A taxi from the city centre takes roughly ten.
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