Rodley Nature Reserve

Leeds, England

Wetland reserve on the site of a former sewage works, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom

Opening Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday and most Bank Holidays: March to October 9am to 5pm; November to February 9am to 4pm. Visitor Centre: March to October 10am to 4pm; November to February 10am to 3.30pm.

Price Check details

Typical visit Not provided yet

Age fit All ages, with fun activities for the young and educational resources for schools and groups.

Setting outdoor

The experience

About this day out

Rodley Nature Reserve is a wetland reserve designed to bring wetland wildlife back into the Leeds area, located off Rodley Town Street west of Leeds City Centre. Created on a floodplain in Kirkstall Valley, a recognised 'flyway' for migrating wildfowl and waders, its wetland habitats were dug out from scratch from rough grassland after Yorkshire Water decommissioned the Rodley Water Treatment Works in 1993. The reserve is accessed via a swing bridge over the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and complements the nearby River Aire.

When to go

Opening calendar

Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday and most Bank Holidays: March to October 9am to 5pm; November to February 9am to 4pm. Visitor Centre: March to October 10am to 4pm; November to February 10am to 3.30pm.

Check the venue calendar ↗

What it costs

Prices at a glance

Admission: Check venue for current prices

Prices can change. Confirm ticket terms with the venue before booking.

Practical details

Facilities & accessibility

At a glance

Visitor Centre with tea, coffee, homemade cakes, cold drinks and ice creamsShop selling bird food, feeders, nest boxes, pocket money toys, calendars, cards and Rodley honeyDisplay area with pictorial and skeletal displays, a living freshwater display and Harvest Mouse tankNest box camera monitors (Barn Owl and Kestrel) in the breeding seasonBird hides with wheelchair access (Lagoon Hide, Michael Sheldon Hide, Duck Marsh Hide, Willow Path Hide, Reedbed Hide, Manager's Garden Hide, Wet Grassland Hide)Public dipping ponds and education pondPicnic areas with wheelchair-friendly tablesDisabled toiletsCycle racks

Accessibility: Ramped access to the Visitor Centre and disabled toilet facilities, with 4 marked blue badge spaces adjacent to the Centre. Hides and viewpoints are linked from the entrance driveway by a hard-surface footpath suitable for wheelchairs and buggies, with ramped access and wheelchair viewing points at most hides. Wheelchair-friendly picnic tables are available, and the Reserve was awarded Open Country's Good Access Award in December 2018 for visitors with restricted mobility.
Parking: Car parking is available on site just after crossing the bridge over the River Aire, with further parking and blue badge parking adjacent to the Visitor Centre.
Dogs: Only registered assistance dogs are allowed onto the Reserve.

Getting there

Where you'll find it

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