The clouds parted and the sun came out at the weekend so fancying a leisurely stroll on a Sunday afternoon we headed for Golden Acre Park.

I’ve been only once before which is quite surprising given it’s a very close location to where I live and where i’m originally from. Located just outside of Leeds in West Yorkshire, Golden Acre Park is a free place to visit for a nice walk.

When we arrived the sun was shining, despite it being quite chilly having just entered autumn. I felt like i’d never been here as I discovered parts to the park i’d never seen before.

We started at one of the few car parks (I forget the name but it was free so a good starting point) and we followed the paths around the park. There are a few trails you can take and all loop around so you won’t miss anything. You’ll see maps dotted around the park so it’s very difficult to get lost!

At first we walked around the woods talking to the squirrels and enjoying the peace and quiet.

Eventually we came out at the ‘Duck Hut’. I’ve never been here before and it was fun to see the amount of birds gathering for food and swimming on the lake. Swans, ducks and even an odd fellow that I can’t quite place..

After dodging the ducks we carried on walking towards the cafe where you’ll find lovely flowers all over. I absolutely love taking photos of flowers and admiring the thousands of different plants! So here are some of them..

And of course my favourite..

What I found interesting here was the disused railway line. In the 1930’s Golden Acre Park used to be an amusement park! So this little railway ran around the park transporting guests. Here is what’s left of it..

After we’d finished with Golden Acre we noticed a sign for Adel Dam Nature Reserve. This had a separate entrance but right next to Golden Acre! So we entered and walked around the woodland where you can find lots of little bird houses. There are also hides where you can do some bird watching. I liked this dedication on one of the hides:

I’d never heard of Adel Dam before so it was nice to come across something new in my home county.

It’s amazing what hidden gems you can find on your doorstep!