Roundhay Park's new Visitor and Education Centre, based in the historic Mansion, was developed as part of the Heritage Lottery Fund-backed scheme.

It traces the transformation from Roundhay's early origins as a deer park to one of the most popular venues in the North, attracting millions of visitors each year and hosting major events such as last year's Robbie Williams concerts, which were televised worldwide.

It began life as a 13th century hunting park, awarded to the de Lacy family by William the Conqueror in return for loyal support during the King's military campaigns. In the early 1800s it was bought by the Nicholson family, who set about building the Mansion as their home and commissioning the surrounding 700-acre rolling landscape as its gardens.

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This was masterminded by park designers Humphry Repton and Uvedale Price, who were leading figures in English landscape garden style. The recent restoration has tried to be faithful to their country estate-style design.
Improved

Work has included renovating Barran's Fountain, upgrading Victoria shelters, a new children's playground, improved car parking, new flower beds and carefully restoring views that had been lost by random tree planting.

The new visitor centre tells the story of the the park's ecology, geology and architecture as well as its history, from the de Lacys to its purchase by the city of Leeds and its opening as a park in 1872 through to the present day.

An archive of experiences of the park has been put together, with audio histories and many striking images.

Councillor John Procter, executive member for leisure, said: "Roundhay Park is quite simply stunning and an amazing asset to have in the middle of a big city. It is the envy of many an area, with visitors travelling from far and wide, and we wanted to ensure it is enjoyed at its best both now and for future generations.

"We feel this painstaking restoration really does do justice to this wonderful piece of parkland. The new visitor centre will be an invaluable and interesting asset to school groups, local historians and anyone interested in the park and its place in the heart of the city."

Fiona Spiers, Heritage Lottery Fund manager for Yorkshire and Humber, said: "The wonderful thing about the UK's parks is that they are as much a part of our city life as they were for the Victorians who created them."

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