Sometimes it’s prettttttttttty difficult to get your children out on walks. My first tip is NEVER call it a walk; it’s an adventure, it’s going exploring, it’s finding some sticks or collecting treasures….. or in the case of this walk, it’s going to see the Gruffalo!
Woodlesford Lock is a fantastic place to visit with children. There’s about a mile between the lock and the next one towards the City Centre (Fishpond Lock), and here you can cross the canal to return on the other side. You can ramp up the excitement by getting the train to Woodlesford Train Station (just 12 minutes by train from Leeds) and the canal is just a few hundred metres down the hill.
But the real attraction here (yes, on top of the locks, the canal boats, the ducks to feed, and the train journey) is the collection of character carvings that can be discovered. The Gruffalo takes a starring role, but you can also find Olaf, Stick Man, Donkey and more! Read more about this lovely walk here.