Woodlesford Lock

Just five miles from Leeds, Woodlesford Lock on the Aire & Calder Navigation, is one of the best places to escape the city and enjoy country walks.

The navigation was built to connect Leeds to the Humber and the North Sea. Unique to this navigation were ‘Tom Puddings', huge open containers for carrying coal, linked together and pushed along by tugs. The waterway still carries commercial traffic but today, it makes its way through peaceful countryside.

This area is also famous for its rich variety of wildlife - and places to spot them. The towpath runs right along the side of Rothwell Country Park.

Things to see and do

Places of interest

• Play park - Woodlesford village park has a football pitch, children's play area and skate park
• Thwaite Mills - a water-powered mill museum
• Gruffalo trail - pack your binoculars and track down exotic wooden wildlife such as elephant, antelope, giraffe, gorilla, deer and the very rare Gruffalo! dotted alongside the canal all carved by one of the local boat owners
• Rothwell Country Park - lots of walks through the country park and a lovely place for quiet recreation.
• St. Aiden's Nature Reserve

Wildlife spotting

• Rothwell Country Park
• St Aiden's Nature Reserve
• Viewing platform on the far side of the lock installed by the Swillington Bird Group offering a great view across Leventhorpe Water Meadow
• Use the bird screens to watch a huge variety of wild life: sand martins, kingfishers, dragonflies, bats, otters, voles, birds of prey, foxes, stoats or reptiles

Planning your visit

Getting here