'The Art of the Approach': from gate lodges to mansion

A grand design to give a new twist to an ancient deer park, turned into a gentleman's landscaped retreat See Roundhay Park through the eyes of a visitor to Thomas Nicholson’s early 19th century country residence by following the impressive route from the gate houses on Wetherby Road to his hilltop mansion. You’ll learn about the Park’s long and winding history as we go. The start is beside the gate houses at the southern end of the park. These lodges have been derelict for too long. The Leeds Buildings Preservation Trust (LBPT) is working with Leeds City Council and the Friends of Roundhay Park to bring these twin historic features back into active use. Half the proceeds of the ticket sales for this walk will go towards the next stage of the project. Trustee Peter Baker will introduce the project before we set off on our walk. Also available on Sunday 3 January. The exact location of the start is here: https://what3words.com/priced.puddles.cubes - the lawn beside the west lodge. It's nearly three quarters of a mile from the lodges to The Mansion, and it involves going uphill. You can either return down the middle of the park to where we started (making a total of about a mile and a half) or continue with me on a wider loop via the old tram stop. We might also carry on down West Avenue and Park Avenue to appreciate more about the park’s history and its current landscape. This route - also finishing back at the lodges - totals nearly two and a half miles. The Mansion, Roundhay Park - built for banker Thomas Nicholson after he bought the former deer park in 1803. Part of the map of Leeds made by J Thorp, published 1821, showing Roundhay Park after Thomas Nicholson's grand project to create a private park.