RSPB St Aidan's Nature Reserve – View of Bowers Lake loop from Great and Little Preston

Routes

Hiking trails & Routes

Yorkshire And The Humber

Leeds

Great And Little Preston

RSPB St Aidan's Nature Reserve – View of Bowers Lake loop from Great and Little Preston

Moderate

4.8

(4)

hikers

RSPB St Aidan's Nature Reserve – View of Bowers Lake loop from Great and Little Preston

02:54

11.4km

40m

Hiking

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: October 15, 2026

Waypoints

Start point

Bus stop

Get Directions

657 m

RSPB St Aidan's Nature Reserve

Highlight • Trail

also a nice place to get a tea or coffee

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1.41 km

View from Caroline Bridge

Highlight • Viewpoint

The RSPB site is the main draw but a bonus is the awesome relic of this former opencast coal mine which is the behemoth Walking Dragline Excavator parked by the …

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2.69 km

Methley Triangle

Forest

6.17 km

Gnome Garden by the Stream

Highlight • Structure

6.17 km

Woodlesford Carved Animal Garden

Highlight • Structure

On the left hand side of the canal after Woodlesford Lock. The guy does all of the wooden animals by hand, it was lovely talking to him. Thanks for some …

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8.50 km

Lemonroyd Marina

Lake

9.28 km

View of the Pond Near Swillington, United Kingdom

Highlight • Viewpoint

Definitely recommend taking a flask of tea or coffee! Very serene place.

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11.1 km

St Aidan's Opencast Dragline (National Coal Board)

Highlight • Structure

Good starting point for a walk

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11.1 km

St Aidan's Nature Reserve Picnic Area

Highlight • Rest Area

Nice pork pie and a loo stop

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11.2 km

View of Bowers Lake

Highlight • Viewpoint

St Aidan's is an RSPB nature reserve located between Leeds and Castleford. Visiting now and seeing how well-established it is, it's hard to belive that the 400-hectare site was formerly …

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