Banstead Park

Banstead Park is on the North side of Harehills, situated between Roundhay Road and Harehills Road, about a mile North of Leeds City Centre. It’s a lovely place to relax, chill out, have a wander, or bring the kids to play and burn off some energy.

Created in the early eighties after several streets of dilapidated houses were knocked down to clear a site. Leeds City Council applied for a grant of £186,000 (approximately £726,237 in today’s money), and in the summer of 1983 work commenced on the form site of Banstead Grove and Harehills Terrace creating the new park.

The park is an approximately two hectare grass slope, featuring trees, two playgrounds, a tarmac basket ball court, a cricket pitch, and some flowers. Being on a slope it has some lovely views over North East Leeds and into the city centre.

The park has residential streets to the North and the modern Trinity United Church, and the impressive and imposing red brick St Aiden’s church and residential street to its South.

After an afternoon at the park enjoying the sun and playing, you can always pop over to Aisha’s cafe for a drink or some food, or many of the shops that are nearby on Harehills Road, pick up what you need for tea.

There’s a lot of history in Harehills parks and green spaces, so I’d like to cover them more. I do know Harehills Park and Potternewton Parks both came about in the early 1900’s, (1921 for Harehills Park, and 1906 for Potternewton Park). It’s fascinating local history.