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Farnley Balancing Reservoir

10 ha

📷 Stephen Armstrong · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

WildlifeBirdsDogs

Public accessFree entryDogs welcome10 ha

Getting here

53.79388, -1.61801

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Visiting this summer

Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now

🌞Midsummer — dragonfly and damselfly activity peaks along water edges
🐕Early mornings are best for dog walks in summer — visit before 9am to avoid the heat and find quieter trails
🅿️Gamecock Inn Car Park 36m away — 10 car parks within reach

🌤️ Visiting this summer

🌞Midsummer — dragonfly and damselfly activity peaks along water edges
🐕Early mornings are best for dog walks in summer — visit before 9am to avoid the heat and find quieter trails
🅿️Gamecock Inn Car Park 36m away — 10 car parks within reach

Good to know

£Free to visit — no entry charge
🐕Dogs welcome

Parking· Free

Best for

7 activities

Wildlife

Very strong match

Multi-group wildlife — Birds, Mammals; Multi-group wildlife — Birds, Mammals

Free

Bird watching

Very strong match

Birds — Black-headed Gull, Grey Heron, Mallard +76 more · last seen 2025; Birds — Black-headed Gull, Grey Heron, Mallard +76 more · last seen 2025

Free

Dog walks

Good match

Dogs allowed with public access

Free

Waterside walks

Good match

Reservoir — waterside public access; parking

Varies

Insect spotting

Good match

Insects — Syrphus, Orange Ladybird, Eyed Ladybird · last seen 2025; Insects — Syrphus, Orange Ladybird, Eyed Ladybird · last seen 2025

Free

Seasonal nature

Moderate match

Plants — Green Alkanet · last seen 2025; Plants — Green Alkanet · last seen 2025

Free

Trails nearby

Within roughly 5 km

🚶

Walking

6 signed routes nearby

Signed route nearby

Kirklees WayWalking route116 km

Named routeLength 116 kmRound tripRegional walking route

Trans-Pennine Trail (Wombwell to Leeds)Walking route

Trans-Pennine Trail (Wombwell to Leeds spur)

Named routeRegional walking route

Calverley Millenium WayWalking route

Boundary walk around Calverley

Named routeLocal walking route

Leeds Country WayWalking route

Named routeLocal walking route

Airedale WayWalking route

Named routeRegional walking route

🚴

Cycling

66 signed routes nearby

Signed route nearby

Route 66Cycling route

Named routeRef 66National Cycle Network

Garforth to Leeds City Centre Core Cycle RouteCycling route

Named routeRef G-CCLocal cycle route

Middleton to Leeds City Centre Core Cycle RouteCycling route

Named routeRef M-CCLocal cycle route

Alwoodley to Leeds City Centre Core Cycle RouteCycling route

Named routeRef A-CCLocal cycle route

West Park to Leeds City Centre Core Cycle RouteCycling route

Named routeRef W-CCLocal cycle route

Cycle Superhighway 1Cycling route

Named routeRef CS1Regional cycle route

Wildlife to spot

25,638 records · National Biodiversity Network

Wildlife to spot

25,638 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds53 species

winter

2025

Woodpigeon · Robin · Wren · Great Tit · Blue Tit +48

WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
RobinErithacus rubecula
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
Great TitParus major
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
Carrion CrowCorvus corone
Grey HeronArdea cinerea
JayGarrulus glandarius
MagpiePica pica
BlackbirdTurdus merula
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
RedwingTurdus iliacus
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
JackdawColoeus monedula
Common GullLarus canus
House SparrowPasser domesticus
GoldcrestRegulus regulus
Rock DoveColumba livia
PeregrineFalco peregrinus
MallardAnas platyrhynchos
KingfisherAlcedo atthis
MoorhenGallinula chloropus
NuthatchSitta europaea
Coal TitPeriparus ater
SiskinSpinus spinus
Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
ShelduckTadorna tadorna
Canada GooseBranta canadensis
TealAnas crecca
Mute SwanCygnus olor
Herring GullLarus argentatus
GadwallMareca strepera
StarlingSturnus vulgaris
CootFulica atra
LapwingVanellus vanellus
DunnockPrunella modularis
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba
Little EgretEgretta garzetta
KestrelFalco tinnunculus
PheasantPhasianus colchicus
SnipeGallinago gallinago
GreenfinchChloris chloris
Water RailRallus aquaticus
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
RookCorvus frugilegus
Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

25,638 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds53 species

winter

2025

Woodpigeon · Robin · Wren · Great Tit · Blue Tit +48

WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
RobinErithacus rubecula
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
Great TitParus major
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
Carrion CrowCorvus corone
Grey HeronArdea cinerea
JayGarrulus glandarius
MagpiePica pica
BlackbirdTurdus merula
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
RedwingTurdus iliacus
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
JackdawColoeus monedula
Common GullLarus canus
House SparrowPasser domesticus
GoldcrestRegulus regulus
Rock DoveColumba livia
PeregrineFalco peregrinus
MallardAnas platyrhynchos
KingfisherAlcedo atthis
MoorhenGallinula chloropus
NuthatchSitta europaea
Coal TitPeriparus ater
SiskinSpinus spinus
Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
ShelduckTadorna tadorna
Canada GooseBranta canadensis
TealAnas crecca
Mute SwanCygnus olor
Herring GullLarus argentatus
GadwallMareca strepera
StarlingSturnus vulgaris
CootFulica atra
LapwingVanellus vanellus
DunnockPrunella modularis
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba
Little EgretEgretta garzetta
KestrelFalco tinnunculus
PheasantPhasianus colchicus
SnipeGallinago gallinago
GreenfinchChloris chloris
Water RailRallus aquaticus
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
RookCorvus frugilegus
Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

Photos

📷 Stephen Armstrong · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Farnley Balancing Reservoir, Leeds

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Nearby places

Useful places within 5 km

🌱Farnley Hall ParkUrban park1 km→🌱Pudsey ParkUrban park3.1 km→🌱Armley ParkUrban park1.8 km→🌱Wortley Recreation GroundUrban park2.6 km→🌱Pudsey ParkUrban park3.1 km→🌱Woodhouse Moor ParkUrban park4.2 km→

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