A walk around the Headingley Hill and Hyde Park Conservation Areas

Carmel Smickersgill, Tours & Activities Editor

Visit now

A walk around the Headingley Hill and Hyde Park Conservation Areas

14 September 2025

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

The Golden Beam
Image supplied by Leeds Inspired
Book now

Hyde Park and Headingley have the reputation of being predominantly student filled areas of Leeds. This, not entirely unfounded, perception of the area doesn’t do justice to its rich and diverse history. Thankfully, several buildings and green spaces in both Hyde Park and Headingley have been designated as Conservation Areas meaning the history, culture and heritage are being preserved. You can discover these stories for yourself with a walk around the headingley hill with ex-town planner Tony Ray.

The walk starts from the Hyde Park Pub at midday. To most Leeds residents, this pub and the crossroads it sits at, are the portal into Headingley and Hyde Park. It’s a junction where historical and modern collide with historic buildings and newer murals, making it an excellent way to start your journey into northwest Leeds.

Tony will be drawing from his life as a town planner to recount stories of the people living, working and celebrating in buildings with fascinating architectural fingerprints. They tell a tale of Leeds’ history as well as people’s innovative use of space in an area with an ever changing demographic.

Along the walk you’ll visit multiple conservation areas exploring the listed buildings, some of which are categorised ‘at risk’, some are spaces inhabited by nature as well as people. Tony will draw your eye to ‘unusual’ features in the architecture and how they came to be there as well as talking about opportunities for enhancement. 

Be sure to dress appropriately for September in Leeds, including sensible footwear and some form of waterproof. Unfortunately due to the nature of terrain in the walk it isn’t suitable for wheelchair users.

A walk around the Headingley Hill is one of the events that make up Heritage Open Days, a country wide festival celebrating the history around us in every form.

Where to go near A walk around the Headingley Hill and Hyde Park Conservation Areas

Morning Glory - Coffee Cup
Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
Morning Glory

Morning Glory positions itself as a grab-and-go spot, with just 12 seats inside serving coffee, bagels and sweet treats.

The Warehouse In Holbeck
Leeds
Event venue
The Warehouse In Holbeck

Run by acclaimed theatre company Slung Low, The Warehouse in Holbeck is home to boundary-pushing performance and community projects.

Leeds
Event venue
The Attic

Tucked away above the bustle of Merrion Street, The Attic is one of Leeds’ most distinctive small venues – intimate, unpretentious, and steeped in DIY spirit.

The Chevin is a great place for visitors to do lots of different activities and is open all year round with 5 free car parks. To help you find out whatís best for you we have divided this section up into some of these different activities.Please be aware that The Chevin is a working estate so you may see vehicles including timber-extraction lorries using some of the tracks.Self-guided WalksThe Chevin is a big place and there is a good network of paths to make your own circular walk, but if you want to follow a themed trail there is a Geology Trail, Heritage Time Trail and a route for Tree Spotters.Bikes & HorsesThere is an extensive bridleway network on the eastern parts of The Chevin that caters for a range of abilities.Orienteering and GeocachingTwo orienteering courses and a number of geocache sites are waiting to be discovered.Climbing & BoulderingThere are many fantastic crags for climbing and boulders for bouldering.Mobility Scooters & Wheelchairs
Leeds
Restaurant
Oporto

For many years, Oporto has been a beacon of alternative energy on Leeds’ Call Lane – serving up great food and drink alongside resident DJs and live music.

Manchester
Gallery
Black Redstart Gallery

Black Redstart Gallery is located in the Northern Quarter and runs a busy programme of exhibitions from emerging and established artists.

RJC Dance Xmas Show
Leeds
RJC Dance

RJC Dance, based in Chapeltown, Leeds, champions youth and education, leading inclusive Black dance in the North through national partnerships.

Manchester
Gallery
texture mcr

Possibly one of the city’s most mysterious art galleries, texture is a small and perfectly-formed independent space in Ardwick.

What's on: Tour

Southern Cemetary Chorlton by Tom Jeffs
TourChorlton
Southern Cemetery Tour

Within Chorlton’s Southern Cemetery lie fascinating stories, beautiful architectural details, and the inspiration behind one of The Smith’s best songs.

From £20.00
Knutsford Tour
TourKnutsford
Secrets of Knutsford

From wild buildings to wilder characters, explore hidden histories and architectural oddities in the Cheshire town of Knutsford.

From £20.00
After Hours at Chetham's Library
TourManchester
Chetham’s Medieval Buildings

Join an access-all-areas guided tour of Chetham’s Library and the surrounding school – among the most venerable buildings in the North West.

From £20.00

Culture Guides

Detail of an abstract sculpture, with burned materials and rusty chicken wire at the centre, with rusted metal bars bent around it.
Exhibitions in the North

Chocolate fountains, beautiful batiks and medieval marginalia - this month's supersized Exhibitions Guide has it all.

Literature Events in the North

The autumn leaves might be falling already, but the harvest is plentiful as the live literature scene gets back into the swing of things after a summer break...

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

This season’s theatre is gloriously eclectic: from radical cabaret and reinvented classics to new musicals and boundary-pushing performance.

Cinema in the North

This month we recommend a season of Film noir, cult Australian movies and a huge celebration of DIY community cinema.