Roundhay Park Gorge, Leeds

West Yorkshire Local Geological Site

Anticline in shale below Rough Rock STATUS: Local Geological Site
OTHER DESIGNATIONS: COUNTY: West Yorkshire
DISTRICT: Leeds
OS GRID REF. SE 336 383 – SE 333 391 OS 1:50,000 Landranger 104 Leeds and Bradford OS 1:25,000 Explorer 289 Leeds BGS 1:50,000 Sheet 70 Leeds
FIRST DESIGNATED West Yorkshire RIGS Group in 1997
DATE OF MOST RECENT SURVEY
DESIGNATION SHEET UPDATED August 2009

SITE DESCRIPTION: The site comprises the channel and banks of the stream which runs from the north into Waterloo Lake in Roundhay Park. The rocks are Upper Carboniferous thin sandstones and shales which in several places have been folded intensely.

HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS:

EDUCATIONAL VALUE: This area is useful for all levels of education. It is a good site for demonstrating bedding and folding and for measuring dip and strike, as well as to look at changes in sedimentary environments as a logging exercise. The stream channel also shows very good smallscale meanders with erosion scars and slip-off slopes. It lends itself well to exercises in measuring stream velocities and discharge and to studies of pebble size / shape / composition.

AESTHETIC CHARACTERISTICS: The site is situated within Roundhay Park, an area of woodlands, grassland and lakes.

ACCESS AND SAFETY: A footpath runs along side the stream so there is some access into the channel and the banks can be observed from the path. There is good access and parking from Princess Avenue and Wetherby Road. Roundhay Park is well served by public transport from Leeds City Centre. Most of the site can be viewed directly from a footpath, which can be muddy (or even flooded) in wet weather. Inspection of the Rough Rock on the Golf Course is not recommended for parties. There are toilets and refreshments nearby.