I visited Roundhay Park in Leeds for the first time and could not believe it was free

People in Leeds always have the same recommendation for me when they find out that I only moved to the city last month. Roundhay Park has been suggested so many times that I have had to stop asking locals “Where should I go in Leeds?” and instead “Where should I go in Leeds, other than Roundhay Park?”.

But, having finally visited the sprawling green space, I can understand why – and I was ashamed to have only been aware of its existence for the last few weeks.

Roundhay Park is one of the largest urban parks in the world and welcomes nearly one million visitors each year. The 700 acres are home to ornate specialist gardens, attractive lakes and streams, a golf course, places to eat, and even a miniature zoo.

I arrived on one of the hottest days of the year so far with a bus-full of people making the most of the sun. My first port of call was the park’s specialist gardens, a series of recreated gardens from around the world.

The first was painter Claude Monet’s Grande Allee, or the path leading from his garden gate to his house in Giverny, where he famously painted waterlilies. The archway of climbing roses and clematis looked weathered in the heat, but still evoked the quaintness of 19th century France.

Next-door was a faithful reproduction of the Patio Acequia at the Alhambra Garden in Spain. The original was built by the Moorish rulers of the country in the 13th century and was the summer residence of the Sultans.

Its precise arrangement and symmetrical beauty is breath-taking, and not at all what I was expecting from the park. I had anticipated open green space and not much more.

That is not to say that the expansive fields that make up Roundhay Park are not equally pleasant – they are – and the tree-lined footpaths that run alongside them brought welcome shade in the 20 C heat. I stopped for a sandwich under an old Oak, before continuing peacefully as a light breeze took hold.

In the near distance, I caught a glimpse of Waterloo Lake peaking through the trees. The sunlight danced on the water as an ice cream van came into view like a technicolour mirage.

The 33-acre lake takes its name from the Napoleonic War, as the soldiers who built it had not long returned from battle. Walking the circumference was my favourite part of the visit; it is a tranquil and therapeutic experience. Seeing swans take flight, their feet skimming the water as they cross the lake, is nothing short of amazing.

But strangely, for most of the time I spent at Roundhay Park, I had an uncanny sense of having sneaked in. It was as though I had jumped the barrier and not bought a ticket. I could not believe that somewhere so beautiful could be free.