Today’s walk of the day takes you along Woodhouse Ridge on the outskirts of Leeds in an easy two-mile circuit. This secluded walk takes you behind Headingley and is perfect for getting a quick break from the busy student area.
To start the walk, head through the entrance on Ridge Terrace and keep the stone wall on your right hand side as you go uphill.
The view from the top of Cardboard Hill is a lovely view of Meanwood. There are benches to take in the view and an information board to learn a little bit about the history and wildlife in the area. The hill is a great place to sit and take in nature, particularly in spring and summer, when it’s a picnic hot-spot.
Woodhouse Ridge Route
Make your way along the ridge you will encounter wildlife that you wouldn’t expect to find so close to the city.
Making your way up the ridge with the wall on your right will lead you past an onion patch and large oak trees from which you can often hear birdsong.
Go along this path until you start heading back downhill and reach the back to back terraced houses. At this point, you should turn around and take the path on your right back down the hill. This will lead you past the remnants of a bandstand from the Edwardian era. Continue past this through Batty’s Wood until you find yourself on Cardboard Hill once again.
Woodhouse Ridge – Conditions
This walk is a perfect stroll and the paths are generally easy to walk on. It can be very muddy if there has been rainfall which can make some of the hills much more difficult so be mindful of the weather.
Having walked the Woodhouse Ridge in the snow, I would personally not recommend it because the hills can be very slippery and difficult to navigate. While the views were lovely, it was very difficult to avoid slipping.
Useful Links
Find out more about the Ridge here.
Discover more Walkshire routes here.
