West Bank Park

A Green Flag award-winning park in Holgate, West Bank Park combines mature woodland, play areas and bowling greens on the western edge of York. 

West Bank Park | Parks in York

• Opening Hours: Open daily | 7.30am - dusk.

• Location: West Bank Park, Holgate, York, YO24 4NS 

• Suitable for: All ages, families, nature lovers

• Booking: No booking required; the bowling greens are managed separately by West Bank Park Bowling Association

• Cost: Free; car park available off James Backhouse Place

• Facilities: Two children's play areas (under 11s and over 11s), woodland walk, meadow picnic area, wildflower terraces, two bowling greens, toilets, basketball court

• Website: westbankpark.org

Highlights

• Green Flag Award winner every year since 2006

• Mature woodland and former arboretum, including dawn redwoods and a giant redwood

• Home to a variety of birdlife, including long-tailed tits, goldcrests and great spotted woodpeckers

West Bank Park is a 16-acre park in Holgate, occupying the former site of the 19th-century Backhouse Nurseries. At the top of the park, off Acomb Road, a mature woodland and former arboretum is home to specimen trees and a thriving population of birdlife.

Families are well catered for, with two separate play areas split by age group, a meadow picnic area and wildflower terraces with a pergola walk. There's also a basketball court and toilets on site, alongside two bowling greens.

The park is managed by City of York Council, with the bowling greens run independently by West Bank Park Bowling Association.

Good to Know

• Drinks and ice creams are sometimes available from the Bowling Club pavilion, 2pm to 4pm - this is volunteer-run, so worth checking before you visit

• Level access in most areas, though the woodland walk and stepped wildflower garden may not suit those with mobility difficulties

• Buses run frequently from the city centre to Acomb Road, stopping by the park gates

• Car park available off James Backhouse Place, with further on-street parking on New Lane and Hamilton Drive

Photo credit: https://westbankpark.org/