Betty Eastwood Park

Location - Betty Eastwood Park, Haveroid Lane, Crigglestone, WF4 3PF (what3words)

Distance (around) - no specific route it’s more of a wander

Accessibility at a glance:

• Access: ⭐⭐

• Dog friendliness: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

• Facilities: ⭐

• Enjoyment: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

More in depth:

Parking and entrance:

• No real carpark, space for a few cars at the side of the road

• Surface is uneven

• Manageable with care, but may be challenging

Paths and distance:

• Stoney based paths, pretty unstable, some areas are also mud

• Paths are wide enough for scooter and someone alongside

• Flat at all points

Facilities

• Benches available throughout the park

• No toilets or other facilities

• Dogs allowed and often used by local dog walkers

• Bins dotted around

Betty Eastwood Park is another great local spot if you’re looking for somewhere new to walk your dog. Located in Crigglestone near Wakefield, it’s a bit of a hidden gem mostly used by locals, and even features a BMX track for younger riders. Covering around 10.6 acres, it offers plenty of space, including a large open field where dogs could happily chase a ball. As we often say, it’s also a lovely place for a picnic.

Like many of the places we visit locally, the park sits on the site of a former mining shaft, this one belonging to the Woollen Well Main Colliery. There’s a symbolic half wagon wheel near the roadside pedestrian entrance to commemorate this history, though aside from that, there’s little visible reminder of its mining history.

The park has many trees and shrubs, making it a great place for wildlife. During our visit, birds were busy beginning their nesting season, so if birdwatching is your thing, it’s well worth bringing binoculars. Most of the mature trees are oak and silver birch, many of which were planted by the Forestry Commission in the late 1990s. You might also spot hedgehogs or rabbits, although we’ve mostly encountered some particularly brazen squirrels! There’s even a small stream running through the park, which connects to a pond in one area.

Parking is on uneven dirt ground, so a bit of care is needed. Access is via a kissing gate, which is just about wide enough for my scooter, though the surface immediately beyond can be tricky and uneven. We usually head left past the BMX track - no particular reason. The paths can be a little bumpy but are manageable. As always Betty stays on her long lead - although on this occasion it’s needed given the number of squirrels! Although she did nearly create a hazard for the bikers at one point.

There’s plenty for dogs to explore, with lots of grass, shrubs, and trees to sniff around. We tend to follow the path with the main cluster of trees on our right, where we’ve spotted birds such as robins, wrens, great tits, and wood pigeons. There are a few path options along the way, but it’s best to stick to the more well-trodden routes. Eventually, the path opens out onto the large field, where you’ll find several benches - perfect for a rest or simply enjoying the view.

Continuing on, you’ll pass the half wagon wheel, where there’s also a dog waste bin, before looping back to the start. Although the route overall is flat, the paths remain a little uneven throughout, and in autumn and winter, there’s naturally more debris underfoot, but nothing too problematic.

We encountered plenty of other dogs during our walk, most belonging to locals. Everyone was friendly and courteous, and Betty behaved herself reasonably well - which isn’t always guaranteed!

Overall, it’s a lovely, short local walk. It’s probably not worth travelling a long distance for, but if you’re nearby, it’s definitely worth a visit. With benches, open space for picnics, and plenty of wildlife, it’s somewhere we’ll certainly keep coming back to.

Tip: take binoculars and stop to look at the wildlife.