Wykebeck Woods
ENTRY
Free
BUGGY FRIENDLY
Yes
What it’s like
Free ancient woodland by a stream where kids can cycle the paths, spot birds and hunt for crayfish in the shallows.
This is a proper stretch of ancient woodland following Wyke Beck, and the whole point is the stream. Kids can peer into the shallows looking for freshwater crayfish, which is the sort of thing that'll keep a six-year-old occupied far longer than you'd expect. The paths are surfaced enough for cycling or walking through, and there's a meadow on the hillside that's made for a picnic if the weather's playing along.
It's free, there's no booking needed, and you can just turn up. Bird spotters get a decent shout here too, with song thrush and treecreeper both listed among what you might see if you keep quiet and look up now and then.
The catch is practical rather than exciting: there's no car park, so you're relying on roadside spots in the nearby streets, and buses (the 49, 50 or 50A) drop you a two minute walk away at Dib Lane Easterly Road, which might actually be the easier option. There are no toilets and no bins on site either.
Pushchairs and wheelchairs manage fine on the surfaced paths and cycle routes, though some sections turn muddy. There's no set age this suits best, it's really just a woodland walk that rewards kids who like streams, bugs and things that scuttle.
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- No set age range, but stream-loving, bug-spotting kids do best here
- Parking
- Limited roadside parking available in nearby residential streets
- Pushchairs
- Pushchair access on surfaced paths and cycle routes
- Wheelchairs
- Wheelchair accessible on surfaced paths and cycle routes
- Getting there by bus or train
- Bus 49, 50 or 50A from Leeds City Centre to Dib Lane Easterly Road, two minute walk
- No bins on site, so take your rubbish home
- No toilets nearby, so plan ahead for that
- Muddy patches on some paths after rain, wellies help
- No car park, roadside parking or the bus is the way in
Plan your visit
Is it free to get in?
Yes, there's no charge and no need to book, you just turn up.
Is there a car park?
No on-site car park, just limited roadside parking on the nearby residential streets.
Can we get there by bus?
The 49, 50 or 50A from Leeds city centre stops at Dib Lane Easterly Road, about a two minute walk from the woods.
Are there toilets or bins?
Neither, so it's worth sorting toilet stops beforehand and taking any rubbish home with you.
Can we bring a pushchair or wheelchair?
The surfaced paths and cycle routes work for both, though some sections get muddy after rain.
What will the kids actually do there?
Walk or cycle along the stream, picnic on the hillside meadow, and look out for crayfish in the beck and birds like song thrush and treecreeper in the trees.
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