Parking: use the car park behind the Coop on High Ash Drive.

​

Map: We initially planned it out on the OS Landranger 104 Leeds & Bradford map. This is the 1:50000 scale map. As it is a very local ride, you can probably transpose the route onto a map on your phone (which I would never recommend for the further afield rides or walks!)

​

NOTE: This route does follow shared paths so please be respectful of other trail users.

​

Route:

  From the Coop car park, take the path beside the Allotment carpark into the park area. Just before the footbridge, turn left and head up through the woods (more fun than on the tarmac!). Continue in the woods where you cross a path between a bridge and the school gate. At a large Oak tree, cross the ditch and return to the main path. Turn left and continue through the woods (the path becomes gravel here) to the playing field at the end of the woods. Turn right and head to another gate. Turn left through the gate into the housing estate carpark area.

  Cross the carpark and turn right, through the houses to meet Shadwell Lane. Cross Shadwell Lane into Darkwood Way. Almost immediately, you can duck into the woods on the right. The entrance is not obvious but the path is once you go under the low branches! Follow this path along the wall boundary onto Shadwell Lane. The path then turns left through another small gap and doubles back onitself before another right turn and you emerge a bit further down Darkwood Way. Turn left backtowards Shadwell Lane but then turn right into teh small arpark and follow the paved path through the houses until the pavings end and the path becomes gravelly. This descends on a good path, steeply at first but then more gently to emerge on Hodgson Avenue. Go down the street to the Ring Road.

  There are two choices here. The easier option turns left along the ring road and follows the cycle path, across the big junction (separate lights for bikes) and around the corner. A footpath leads left to Shadwell but cross the ring road here and descend the steep track into Roundhay Park.

  The fun option crosses the Ring Road and goes a short distance up Roman Avenue before turning left through the fence into the trees. A singletrack path leads behind the houses to Park Lane. This is great fun but not worth it when muddy with Little Ones ( Go solo in the mud!). Cross Park Lane and drop back into the woods (walk the short flight of steps) and follow the path around. At a junction, turn left downhill (not towards the golf course) where you meet the track from the ring road and the instructions join up again. Continue into the Roundhay Park over a number of wooden bridges.

  After the last bridge there is a short steep uphill. Continue on the wide path a short distance and take one of the smaller paths that go off to the left (there is one particularly obvious, larger track over some tree roots). This path goes uphill and then turns to the right and levels off. You cross a small bridge and continue to a junction where you head uphill.

**It is hard to write a description now (I will try!) but basically head uphill and stay high above the Lake until you finally drop down to the Wetherby Road car park** 

  This goes up steeply into a large bowl and there is evidence of a mountain bike "play" area. Climb up onto the bank on the right and then drop down into the trees to a small stream crossing. Continue on the path heading uphill to another short steep section. At the top you come to a wall and can see the golf course on the other side. Follow the path along the wall and stay as high as you can. A couple of tricky sections and you will go towards the lake by a fallen tree. Stay high, down a dip and back up again and then continue on the obvious path. There is an option to turn left in a wider, more open area, take this option for a small climb under a fallen down tree (duck!) and then the path descends on a fast and wide path down to the car park.

  Go to the stone arch to exit Roundhay park onto Wetherby Road. Cross the road into Elmete Drive and turn right up Elmete Walk. This is a steep uphill section (a TowWhee is useful!). Turn right on North Lane towards the school. Before the school, go onto the field and head diagonally across to the exit in the South West corner. You can stay on the footpath behind the houses and come out on Oakwood Lane. Turn right towards Oakwood and go down to Oakwood Drive.

  Turn left along Oakwood Drive and enter the woods at the end (Gipton Woods). A short path leads to a main track which you go straight across onto another small track and descend a fun but rooty section down and then along the boundary wall to a path. Turn right on the path and go down the steps (rideable for larger wheeled bikes!). Turn left on the wide pavement and ride down to the pedestrian crossing after Tesco, opposite the petrol station.

  Cross the main road, go onto Gledhow Wood Road, turn left down Well House Drive and go to the bottom. Turn right on Gledhow Valley Road and go up to the old bathhouse. Enter Gledhow Woods here on a wide path. Go up a short steep section and turn left to contour along the hillside. You will come to Gledhow Lake. Go around the Lake, past a clearing and choose the top, middle or bottom path! Bottom path is easiest, Middle Path ricky but rideable and the top path is also fairly easy but more of a climb. Top and Middle Paths need to descend the steps to reach the bottom of Gledhow Lane (Little Chap#1 can ride down these fairly confidently, Little Chap#2 can but often walks).

  Cross Gledhow Lane and continue along the path until it turns obviously to the right. The lower path gets tricky, the upper path goes very steeply up into the estate so take the middle path, climbing on a wide path before going behind some buildings. Continue up to the block of flats. 

   You'll come out onto Lincombe Drive, turn right on Larkhill Road and left on Brackenwood Drive. Turn left on Lidgett Lane and go up the path into Allerton Grange school drop off area. At the school gate, turn left over the field.

  Go straight over the road to Moor Allerton Avenue and continue up to Street Lane. It is a short distance right to Sainsbury's for snacks/ice-cream/drinks etc). Cross to High Moor Avenue, turn right on High Moor Crescent and go up and around to Shadwell Lane. Use the pedestrian lights to cross the ring road and continue on Shadwell Lane.

   Go along Shadwell Lane until you can turn left back into Wigton Moor Park and follow the apths back to the Coop car park.

​

Verdict:

  One of our favourite local rides and a great introduction to mountain biking. You can make the various wood sections as easy or difficult as you like and ideally you need to explore your own way through these sections to suit your fitness and skill levels. Repeated trips increase skills and fitness and fun!

  This is a great way to link up some urban green areas and have a great ride well inside the city limits. We love this ride because it is so surprising to be able to do this inside the ring road.

  Try it from your home!

​

​

​