Eccup Reservoir, in the countryside north of Leeds, is where the city goes to watch the sky: red kites — reintroduced at nearby Harewood from 1999 — now ride the thermals over the water in numbers.

A waymarked circuit of about four and a half miles loops the reservoir through farmland and woodland, with the kites for company much of the way. Part parkland walk, part bird reserve: we file it under both Parks and Attractions.
📍 Near Eccup, north Leeds — Google Maps
Open access paths · Free