Roundhay Park, Leeds Resort, UK
Rating: 7,8/10 (201 votes)  Roundhay Park is one of the most impressive urban parks in Europe. It covers an area of about 3 sq. km. The park has a section of forest, many flower beds, a lake. Roundhay is extremely popular with Leeds residents and tourists alike.
Once upon a time, this territory was part of the hunting grounds of the de Lacy family, donated to Ilbert de Lacy by William the Conquerors himself. The land has often changed its owners over the years. In 1803, the land was acquired by Thomas Nicholson. By this time, there were old abandoned coal mines and quarries in this area. In their place, Nicholson arranged two lakes - Waterloo and Lake Superior. A house was built overlooking Lake Superior. Nicholson also decorated the park with an imitation of an ancient castle gate with a wooden roof and an upper room. Thanks to him, the church of St. John, a shelter for the poor and a school were built in the southern part of the park. In 1871, the mayor of the city, John Burren, bought the park so that all citizens could relax in it. The inauguration of the public park, which was attended by Prince Arthur, took place in 1872.
The park is divided into several parts. One of them is occupied by the so-called Tropical World. There are greenhouses, which represent the different types of the Earth's climate. In addition, there is a large, second largest collection of tropical plants in Great Britain. In the Tropical World, you can find the Butterfly House, an aquarium, get acquainted with various tropical birds and reptiles. The Nightlife Pavilion displays a collection of nocturnal animals, in particular bats. The colony of meerkats living in the Tropical World is especially fond of park visitors. Also in Roundhey there is Monet's Garden, built in the style of the Giverny garden path from the artist's canvas, Canal Gardens with a rectangular lake, picturesque flowers, numerous rose bushes and old trees, Friends of the Park Garden, Alhambra Garden with fountains and a rectangular pond. Garden for the blind with scented walkways and special instructions in Braille. The picturesque and romantic look of the park is complemented by the artificial ruins of the castle gates.
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