A Garden Through Time

28 Sep 2020 - 30 Sep 2021

Burley Park Station

An audio walk that follows the footprint of the Leeds Zoological and Botanical Gardens.

The Gardens existed in Headingley between 1840 and 1858. Sadly, the attraction was underfunded from the start and was dogged by money troubles throughout its short existence. Despite being taken into private ownership in 1848 and run on a more commercial footing, the gardens closed their gates for good, just ten years later.

Today, the Gardens are long gone but their existence has not been forgotten. There are traces of them to be found in the archives at Leeds Central Library, as well as physical evidence such as the remains of the bear pit on Cardigan Road.

This specially created audio walk begins and ends at the Chapel Lane entrance to Burley Park Station in Headingley. It takes around two hours to complete, at a leisurely pace. The walk is fairly short in terms of distance covered. There are ten stopping points along the route, where audio files can be triggered. The files tell the story of the Gardens’ creation, existence and eventual demise. The walk can be downloaded, free of charge, from: https://www.365leedsstories.org/maps/map-19/

Image Info: Matthew Bellwood

During this period of social distancing and lockdown due to Coronavirus we advise that you check directly with the organiser of this event that it is going ahead as publicised.

Audio files for the walk are available online at: www.365LeedsStories.org You can listen to them on your phone, your tablet or any other device that is capable of playing mp3 files. You can download the files, or listen to them online by pressing the ‘Play’ button. You can also download a GPS enabled version of the walk for your smartphone, which will trigger the audio files automatically at the correct locations. The entire walk is also available to listen to on Soundcloud. This version will play as a continuous recording, which you can enjoy from the comfort of an armchair or sofa.

The route of the walk is accessible, making use of the existing pavements and crossings in the area. There is a small step at the entrance to one of the stops (Sparrow Park). The audio for this section of the walk can be enjoyed from outside the area in question.