Hidden gems: Green spaces in Leeds

This beautiful Georgian square in the city centre is a great place to unwind on your lunch break. First landscaped in 1788, it's surrounded by stunning architecture.

Once the historic, gothic Woodhouse Cemetery, this park is now part of the University of Leeds campus. You can still see the old headstones and Victorian memorial monuments and there's plenty of atmosphere.

This surprising woodland dell can be found in Meanwood Valley. Once part of the pleasure grounds of a nearby villa, it's rumoured author J R Tolkien once walked here. Now a 93-acre nature reserve, its botanic gardens are home to impressive species of plants and wildlife. There's even a hidden tennis court.

Part of the Wellington Place office development to the west of the city centre, the focal point of this newly-landscaped area is the old lifting tower, which was built in the 1850s to lower wagons from the nearby Holbeck viaduct down to the site of the original Leeds Station. There's plenty of seating for office workers in summer, including deckchairs.

Often overlooked because it's park of the Leeds Beckett University campus, this large park actually has full public access and a range of facilities. It's within easy walking distance of Headingley, Kirkstall and West Park, and its woods are home to a monument commemorating Queen Victoria's visit to the city.

This Armley park was once the grounds of Gotts Park Mansion, built for the Leeds industrialist Benjamin Gott and now a golf clubhouse. Listed features in the park include the war memorial, fountain and several plaques.