Chilled Out Meetups (Leeds)

Chilled Out Walks are back for 2026. We meet in the city centre for a leisurely paced walk to various locals sights and green spaces, followed by a drink or food.

Our first proper canal walk of the year will take us to Kirkstall. If you're new to Leeds you'll see why canal walks are such a favourite with the tranquil waters feeling a world away from bustling Leeds. We'll stop off for a break in the ruins at Kirkstall Abbey (a yearly tradition) then work our way up to Kirkstall Forge station. From here you can get a train back into Leeds, or get back onto the canal to do the return walk back into the city.

Tip for drivers: In the morning, you can park for free at Kirkstall Forge then get a train into Leeds. This way you can simply drive home at the end of the walk. This avoids expensive and tricky city centre parking.

So everyone can have a great experience...

1. Turn up on time - we no longer wait for latecomers
2. Keep the group together and don't sprint ahead
3. This is chilled out so slower walkers set the pace for all
4. If someone needs to stop for a moment, wait for them
5. Don't lead the group unless you know the directions

Important Info

Start Time: 13:00
Meeting Point: City Square under the horse statue
Distance: Approx 6 miles one way (return walk is optional)
Destination: Kirkstall Forge, then get a train or walk back to Leeds
Clothing: Trainers are OK, walk is on hard ground
Afterwards: There's not much around Kirkstall Forge so it's best to go back into Leeds if you'd like to get drinks or food. As normal, there's no specific plan and members should choose.

FAQs
Can you meet me part way through the walk?
Sorry, because these events can be busy it isn't practical to meet certain members somewhere else. Please come to the start point, if you want to cut the route short you are welcome to leave whenever you'd like.

What if bad weather is expected?
The host will review weather forecasts and, if necessary, delay or cancel the event. If this happens the decision will be clearly posted here, so unless you're advised otherwise you can assume the event is going ahead as expected. Light or intermittent rain will not cause the walk to be delayed. If you have concerns contact the host privately, speculating in the comments will likely be considered fearmongering and dealt with accordingly.

How do I get to the start point?
If you'd like to travel by train, the start point is directly adjacent to Leeds station. It should also be within a few minutes walk of all bus connections.

Where can I park my car?
The meeting point is very central so street level parking is hard to find, however there are multiple nearby multi-storey car parks you can use and these tend to have many free spaces on a weekend. Remember to leave an extra 10 minutes since it can take a while to park at these locations.

I'm running late can you wait?
This caused more problems than it solved so we no longer wait regardless of if you request it or not. Members tend to start arriving 15-20 minutes before the start of the walk so if you arrive early you shouldn't be alone. Since we meet in the city centre there are plenty of places to get a snack or hot drink whilst you wait. Aim to arrive early then even if you are delayed you will still get there on time.

Will there be breaks?
There should be at least one with possible further breaks on longer walks, however the host is solely responsible for choosing when. When we do stop, make the most of it - take a seat and drink some water - if you stand around the whole time you might struggle for energy later.

Can I bring my dog?
Yes, as long as they are on a lead and wont intimidate other members.

Will there be more upcoming walks?
We normally do these every 2 weeks from approximately March - September, however this is subject to change at any time, as always RSVP now since there's no guarantee the event will be repeated. The more people who turn up now the more likely we are to keep running these later into the year.

The weather is getting warmer so lets kick off the bank holiday weekend with hot drinks in the sun (hopefully, anyway) at Brewery Wharf.

This public square is just across the river and on the other end of a dedicated footbridge. You can get a hot drink in a takeaway container at Cafe YumYum and there's also a Sainsbury's Local. If you've been to our events at Bridge End Social this is just a few minutes walk away, and if you've come on our walks we have stopped here for a break a couple of times.

This area is partially covered so unless the weather is really, really bad this will go ahead regardless of the forecast.

How to get here

From the central part of the city centre, the fastest walk is probably go walk down The Calls until you reach the footbridge which drops you off directly at the location. I recommend using Google Maps to navigate since the Meetup app can be unreliable for this.

Public Transport - The nearest station is Leeds and is around a 10 minute walk away. All city centre bus connections are a 5-10 minute walk.

Car - With this being so close to the city centre parking nearby is hard to find, however Crown Point Shopping Centre is a 5 minute walk away and you can park for free for 3 hours. You can also park in the various multi-storey car parks in the city centre however expect to pay around £3-4 per hour.

Afterwards

There's a couple of bars we could check out also in Brewery Wharf, or alternatively we have everywhere else in the city centre if members would prefer.