Headingley: Cinema, Stadium and Parks

Headingley brings together the Cottage Road Cinema’s long history, the historic Headingley Stadium and the annual Heritage Open Days. There are also two parks with distinctly different characters. Several aspects are important when planning your trip: the cinema and stadium can be placed in context using their own historical dates, while event dates change and Beckett Park and Woodhouse Moor offer different landscapes.

Cinema and Stadium: Their Own Histories

The Cottage Road Cinema was originally known as The Headingley Picture House. It has shown films continuously since 1912. Both its former name and the continuous film screenings are therefore part of its history. Headingley Stadium offers a different historical landmark: it was built in 1890. The years refer to different facts—1890 to the stadium’s construction and 1912 to the start of continuous film screenings at the cinema.

The layout within Headingley Stadium can also be described specifically: a cricket ground lies to the north, on Kirkstall Lane, and a rugby ground lies to the south, on St Michael’s Lane. The two sports grounds and street names provide a clear north–south orientation. If you are exploring Headingley’s sporting history, you can use the location of the grounds to identify both their sport and their position in relation to the stadium.

Heritage Open Days: Dates and Changing Venues

Headingley Heritage Open Days take place every September. Historic monuments and buildings are opened to visitors, including some that are not usually open to the public. The specific venues vary. The event therefore combines visits to well-known historic buildings with the opportunity to discover places that are otherwise closed.

For 2026, the programme lists more than a dozen events at many venues in and around Headingley. The selection is therefore not limited to a single location. If you would like to plan your trip around a particular opening, check the dates and participating venues in that year’s programme in advance.

Beckett Park and Woodhouse Moor Compared

Beckett Park is a popular community park on a ridge between Headingley and Kirkstall. Its features include well-maintained parkland and woodland; the park also offers one of the best views of Kirkstall Valley. Here, the ridge-top location, wooded areas and views over the valley come together.

Woodhouse Moor has a different character: the park consists mainly of open grassland with avenues of mature trees. Its facilities include a playground, skate park, multi-use games area, bowling green and tennis courts. Facilities may change over time, so if a particular one is important to you, check its current status before your visit.

The two parks therefore offer different features to guide your choice: Beckett Park combines woodland with its location between Headingley and Kirkstall and views over Kirkstall Valley. Woodhouse Moor is distinguished mainly by its open grassland, tree-lined avenues and range of recreational areas. This comparison helps you distinguish the parks’ landscapes by their specific features.

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