Seven parks in Yorkshire to visit on your summer staycation
We're all staying a bit closer to home for our summer holidays this year and what better way to have some fun or just kick back and relax whilst on your staycation than by exploring a local park or green space!
To celebrate Yorkshire Day, we've picked out seven parks we think are well worth a visit whilst on your travels around the county.
All these spaces are legally protected in perpetuity with Fields in Trust, meaning they can never be built on or sold off and will always be there as places for us to enjoy, to benefit our health and wellbeing, support the environment and bring our communities together.
As a charity, we rely on your support to help us protect our much loved local green spaces. If you love your local park, please make a donation and do something amazing for green spaces just like these.
Queen's Park, Bridlington
Protected with Fields in Trust since 2013
Lots of us are heading to the seaside this summer and if you're looking for somewhere to beat the crowds on the promenade, Queen's Park is hidden away just a short walk from Bridlington's popular North Beach. There's a play area for the little ones as well as open grassy spaces to kick a ball around, soak up the sun or enjoy your fish and chips. Find out more about Queen's Park...
Reach it via: Train to Bridlington then around one mile, or alight from the Land Train on Alexandra Promenade then around half a mile.
Weston Park, Sheffield
Protected with Fields in Trust since 2015
Located to the west of Sheffield city centre close to the University, this Grade II listed green space was first opened in 1875 and remains one of the UK's finest public parks. Weston Park is home to the family-friendly Weston Park Museum and also include a small pond, bandstand, tennis courts and open green space which is perfect for picnics. It was protected as a Centenary Field in memory of those who lost their lives in World War I, with the York and Lancaster Regiment Memorial located at the southern end of the park. Find out more about Weston Park...
Reach it via: Train to Sheffield then around 1.5 miles, or half a mile from University of Sheffield tram stop on the blue and yellow lines.
Sandringham Park, Wetherby
Protected with Fields in Trust since 2015
The market town of Wetherby has long been a popular place to visit and just north of the town centre is Sandringham Park. The space is cared for by a loving Friends group who came together in 2010 and have transformed it into an oasis for both nature and play. As we discovered in this chat with Friends of Sandringham Park Chair, Kazia Knight this is a space which does good not only for the local human population but also the local wildlife population. Find out more about Sandringham Park...
Reach it via: Local bus from Leeds, York, Harrogate or Knaresborough then around half a mile from Wetherby Bus Station.
Pickering Park Rose Garden, Hull
Protected with Fields in Trust since 2019
There's fun for all the family at Pickering Park in the western suburbs of Kingston-upon-Hull. See what you can spot in the wildlife garden, visit the playground with your kids, take a wander around the lake or relax in the Rose Garden. This historic park opened in 1911 and was a refuge for the locals during World War I when the city was targeted by Zeppelin raids. Pickering Park's Rose Garden was designated a memorial space as part of the Great War centenary commemorations. Find out more about Pickering Park Rose Garden...
Reach it via: Train to Hull then regular buses stopping by the park.
Centre Vale Park, Todmorden
Protected with Fields in Trust since 2012
If you're looking to avoid the crowds in the Yorkshire Dales National Park then Calderdale has lots to offer and no visit to Todmorden is complete without a trip to Centre Vale Park. At nearly 33 hectares in size this is a great place to spend a fun or relaxing day out with the family. There's an extensive play area including skate park and zip wire to keep the little ones entertained, formal memorial gardens to explore, a wildlife corridor running the length of the park and swathes of open parkland to enjoy. Centre Vale Park has been used and enjoyed by the public since 1915. Find out more about Centre Vale Park...
Reach it via: Train to Todmorden then around half a mile along Burnley Road.
Elmfield Park, Doncaster
Protected with Fields in Trust since 2019
Now is the perfect time to visit Elmfield Park as it enjoys a renaissance thanks to a recently completed £750,000 improvement project. Doncaster's first public park when it opened in 1923, the space is well-used and enjoyed by locals and visitors alike with the highlight arguably the rose garden in the northern section of the space. There are also tennis courts, a play area and open grassy areas to ensure something for everyone to enjoy. Find out more about Elmfield Park...
Reach it via: Train to Doncaster then a short bus journey from Doncaster Interchange stopping close to the park gates.
Primrose Valley Park, Leeds
Protected with Fields in Trust since 2014
Whilst many may head for Roundhay Park or Temple Newsham Park, this nearby alternative is a peaceful spot with no shortage of things to discover. Part of the space is given over to sport and play with football pitches, tennis courts and a play area all available, but the highlight of this space is nature. One of five nature reserves in the area, there is wildlife aplenty to discover in the forest whilst for those wanting to stretch their legs the Primrose Valley Park Loop trail allows you to see the best this space has to offer. It is one of 22 green spaces secured with Fields in Trust by Leeds City Council. Find out more about Primrose Valley Park...
Reach it via: Train to Cross Gates then around a mile to the park via local buses.
More parks in Yorkshire to discover
These are just seven of 150 parks and green spaces protected with Fields in Trust across Yorkshire and the Humber. You can discover more protected spaces across Yorkshire and the UK using our handy Fields Finder.
Whilst you're here...
As a charity, we rely on your support to help us protect parks and green spaces across the UK.
We have all valued our local green spaces more than ever over the last year. They are spaces which benefit our physical health and mental wellbeing. They bring our communities together. They support wildlife in our towns and cities and help to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Yet they are not equitably distributed across the country and the situation is getting worse. These vital spaces continue to be threatened with imminent loss. Once lost, a green space is lost forever.
Please make a donation today to help us protect many more parks and green spaces, just like those featured here, for good.
Green Space Index in Yorkshire and the Humber
The Green Space Index is Fields in Trust's barometer of publicly accessible park and green space provision. Our Revaluing Parks and Green Spaces research demonstrates that these spaces across the UK provide people with over £34 billion of health and wellbeing benefits. We believe that green spaces are good, do good and need to be protected for good.
In Yorkshire and the Humber, the Green Space Index finds:
of total green space provision in Yorkshire and the Humber
of green space provision per person in Yorkshire and the Humber
not living within a ten-minute walk of a green space
of legally protected green space provision in Yorkshire and the Humber
You can discover more about the Green Space Index and explore provision near you on our interactive map.
