Bond Court – Leeds, UK - Municipal Parks and Plazas on Waymarking.com

Leeds City Council installed the Petanque court in the late 1990s in honour of the fact that Leeds is twinned with the French city of Lille.

Petanque or Boule is popular in France and courts are a common sight in French towns and cities but I have never seen another one in the UK.

The boules are kept in a nearby sandwich shop and available for anyone to use. The game started to become popular with local office workers to such an extent that there is an annual tournament held with the CRE Colliers cup awarded to the winning team.

I don’t know whether anyone used to play the game before the arrival of this court but there is now a Petanque league with established teams in a number of nearby towns. (visit link)

In 1998 Martin Wainwright, a keen player himself, commissioned local sculptor Roger Burnett to create a sculpture for the square.

The sculpture called Voila! Was unveiled in 2000 and shows a Frenchman demonstrating how to play the game to family of Yorkshire people.

There are a number of benches and picnic tables in the square and the feeling of a continental style square is enhanced by the inclusion of chess or draughts boards on the tables.

I get the impression this is a good place to chill in the summer during your lunch break from the office.

Name: Bond Court Street Location: Just off Infirmary Street Local Municipality: Leeds State/Province, etc.: West Yorkshire Country: United Kingdom Web Site: [Web Link] Memorial/Commemoration: No Date Established: Unknown Picnic Facilities: Small tables with 2 fixed chairs Recreational Facilities: Petanque (Boules) court Draughts / Chess boards on the tables Art (murals/sculpture, etc.): Voila! - A Frenchman teaching a Yorkshire family the game of Boules Special Events: Annual Boules competition Monuments/Statues: Not listed Fountains: Not listed Ponds/Lakes/Streams/Rivers/Beach: Not listed Traditional Geocaches: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
One photo of the park that is a different view from the one on the page, and give the date and description your visit.

Add any additional information that you may have about this park. A GPSr photo is NOT required.

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.