Leeds Royal Park was a pleasure garden in Leeds, West Yorkshire from 1858 to 1885, located to the west of Woodhouse Moor about a mile out of the city centre. It was established by Thomas Clapham, an entrepreneur and local politician, but like the rest of his ventures it was unprofitable, and was closed and sold in 1874 due to the level of debt built up on its mortgages, after which it was known as the Leeds Horticultural Gardens. The new management company also had problems with debt and it was sold off in plots for housing development from 1885. The site now forms part of the dense residential area of Hyde Park, leaving a legacy in the layout and street naming. The only surviving building connected with the Royal Park is the old entrance lodge, converted into a group of houses facing Woodhouse Moor. Troubles for the Royal Park were more than financial. Under Clapham's management, repeated violations of local licensing laws for music and events put pressure on funds and reputation. However, it was a popular place for recreation, with cricket, a gymnasium and other attractions including the annual Leeds Flower Show and sensational paid events. Founding Thomas Clapham, a Yorkshire investor who had taken over the running of the Leeds Zoological and Botanical Gardens as the Royal Gardens (now the site of Cardigan Road) in 1848, was forced to close it in 1858 due to consistent under-funding, and moved on to a new venture approximately half a mile away in the area which is now the densely-populated Hyde Park, but in the mid-19th century was still undeveloped fields adjacent to Woodhouse Moor. In 1858, he purchased facing the west of the Moor, including the Victoria Cricket Ground, which had staged most of the area's important matches since 1837 and was to be the focal point of his new recreational pleasure ground. Known initially as Leeds New Gardens, the pleasure ground Clapham created on the site featured a more downmarket focus than the Royal Gardens, with cricket, a gymnasium and what was described as "the largest dancing platform in the world". Other attractions included clay pigeon shooting, Punch and Judy shows, hot air balloon rides, and gardens with shrubs, lawns and a conservatory. Operation The Leeds New Gardens was renamed to the Royal Park in September 1858 in honour of Queen Victoria's visit to Leeds that month to