Overview

I was very excited to visit this park when I was planning my visit to Leeds and then I happened to stumble into it on accident on my first evening there -- by taking a mysterious elevator from what wasn't quite a parking lot or a building site but something in-between. I was not a big fan of New York when I visited there, but one thing I loved was the High Line, a park on former elevated train tracks and Monk Bridge Viaduct Gardens is like a mini version of that! I really enjoyed the views of the water and the variety of plants -- and that was before I even saw the little café and all the games. There is even a basketball court! The café Marmita serves mediterranean food and desserts as well as Middle Eastern breakfast dishes. There is seating and a gazebo for shelter there.

Transport & Parking

The closest bus stop to the entrance north of the river is Wellington P/N (55, 55C, 65, 74, 229, 254) and to the entrance south of the river (The Junction) Whitehall Road/Globe Road (55, 55C, 65, 74, 229, 254). There is no free/on-street parking that I could see. There is some parking on the far side of The Junction development, but I do not know whether there is access to the Viaduct Gardens from there. There is a paid multi-storey car park on Wellington Place, which is where I came from when I first found the elevator up. It's just over a half mile walk or wheel from Leeds train station.

Access

There are stairs with railings and a lift on either side of the Gardens. There are tactile markings at the top of the stairs. The lift north of the river is larger, with doors on either side, so you can enter and exit forwards without having to turn. There is no braille, but the button labels are elevated and there are handrails. The lift south of the river is smaller and only has one door, but it has a mirror on the back. There is a roof over where you wait for the lift. The paving is level and even throughout. The large chess and checkers is on a platform that has no step-free access. Shuffleboard, Connect 4 and foosball are level. There are some long benches made from wooden planks with backrests on some parts and no armrests. In the area next to the café, there are tables and moveable metal chairs with slatted seats and backrests and without armrests.

Toilets

There are no toilets at this venue.

Staff

There is no staff at the gardens, but the people running the little café Marmita were lovely.

Photos