Into The Wild; Regaining our sense of adventure.By Ami Gallagher

Yorkshire is the place that gave life to the tragedy and romance of the Bronte sister’s imaginations, it’s the home of Ted Hughes home spun poetry that has en-ticed children for so many years and it’s the birth place of W.H.Audens passion for language and words. So why have we lost touch with the landscape that shaped so many minds? The great outdoors is the breeding ground for imagi-nation and fascination but these days we would much rather sit in front of the television and switch our minds to auto pilot. The great Yorkshire land-scape has more to offer you than you could ever imagine, being outdoors is a natural stress reliever as well as a great way to get the kids to run off all that damn energy. Many people never think to step outside and just take a few hours to realise all the trivial problems of every-day life have to follow you everywhere. Leeds and the surrounding area is definitely no dif-ferent to that, even in the densest parts of the cit-ies landscape there are jewels of woodland that feel a mile from any kind of civilisation, getting out into the wild can feel like a challenge to great to take on (especially in this autumnal weather), but with this guide you should be able to find your lit-tle piece of Narnia just a short walk from your house, so you don’t have an excuse not to get out there and explore.

Meanwood Grove:Hidden in the north west of Leeds Meanwood Grove is a haven on an autumnal Sun-day afternoon, it boasts a thick woodland that’s separated by a beauti-ful beck. This is a great place to escape, if you fancy a short stroll around the maintained fields or a more challenging stroll through the beautiful wood-land Meanwood has every-thing on offer. The cheeky squirrels that inhabit the woodland are sure to make you laugh as they scamper from tree to tree quickly burying their nuts for the long winter ahead, there’s always a great opportunity to forage some tasty wild mushrooms and fungi as well but remember never pick anything you can’t com-pletely Identify. Adel Woods: Just a little further up from Meanwood Grove on the outskirts of Leeds is Adel Woods a beautiful spread of natural land that plays host to a little bit of everything; from wide open meadows, two gargling streams, woodland, heath-land and even a sphagnum bog. It’s a beautiful place to let the kids imagina-tions come to life, search for the hidden bunker or stare in awe at the viaduct that seems to come from nowhere. Adel woods are full of hidden treasures and secrets just waiting to be uncovered, the perfect place to rustle up an appe-tite for Sunday lunch.

Golden Acre Park & Adel Dam Golden Acre Park is situated about 5miles outside of Leeds and this short drive is definitely worth it! The park even has a café/bake house if you’re feeling a little peckish. The park is a better choice if you don’t want to end up trekking through the wild and prefer a path led walk, it’s a little different to everywhere else as it has display gardens, ornamental gardens and a beautiful lake to walk around. Dis-tinctive features of the park are the area surround the lake, the woodland, arboretum and picnic area where the flora and fauna is encouraged to go wild. Adel Dam nature reserve is also joined onto the parkland and is a brilliant opportunity to get in some solitary bird watching or even to become explorers and see if you can spot the wild buck. The entire parkland plays house to a wide range of wildlife includ-ing; rabbits, foxes, deer, sheep, rabbits, badgers not to mention the wild birds that can be found nestled in and around the lakeside. Eccup Reservoir: Built in 1843 and later expanded the res-ervoir is owned by Yorkshire Water it’s towards the northern outskirts of Leeds lies the biggest body of water in west Yorkshire and a rare chance to see the beautiful Red Kite in its natural habitat. Eccup reservoir is a lovely walk if the weather is right and the walk around has a little bit of everything for everyone, the woodland is the perfect place for kids to dream up adventures whilst the calming effect of the water is a definite stress reliever for mum and dad.

Ilkley Moor: Why not hop on a short train journey to the picturesque town of Ilkley and take a short climb onto the moorland; it’s hard to see how you couldn’t be inspired by this beautiful landscape. Visit the Cow and Calf a famous rock formation near the old quarry; you can then follow a path on short hours walk around the quieter area of the moors. If you’re new to Yorkshire it’s a perfect opportunity to see the beautiful but almost haunting desolation of the Yorkshire moorland, and with the uphill clamber you’ll definitely burn off some energy ready for a nice bite to eat in one of the local pubs surrounding the area. Middleton Park: Middleton Park, once the private estate of the lords of the manor of Middleton, is owned by Wade’s Charity and leased to Leeds City Council. It also plays host to the largest area of ancient woodland in Leeds and is a great place to see a long standing natural environment, the park even has a golf course and a small lake. The park even has the remnants of coal mining hidden away in the woods; the bowl shaped pits found in the woods are the re-mains of an early form of coal mining.W Get out there and explore what Leeds has to offer! Even if these don’t take your fancy there’s many more! Take the chal-lenge and pick up your wellingtons or boots, grab a water proof and escape to the wild for a few hours.¶

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Meanwood Park.

Adel Woods early morning.

Golden Acre Park early morning at the lake side.