When people think of a serviced office space, they usually picture desks, meeting rooms and car parking. What they don't expect is foxes playing after dark, honeybees thriving in managed hives, and squirrels raiding a feeding station in full view of every tenant's window. But that's exactly what you get at Leigh House in Pudsey, Leeds.

As Director and Office Manager here, I spend my days on the grounds, and over time I've come to realise that the wildlife at Leigh House isn't just a nice backdrop. It's become part of what makes this place special.

A Serviced Office With Over an Acre of Grounds

Leigh House is a serviced office space that we rent out to clients, but what sets us apart from a lot of similar buildings is the setting. We have over an acre of gardens and grounds surrounding the building, with mature trees, open green space and planting that's been part of the site for generations. Some of our trees have been standing for over 100 years.

It's this scale of green space, right in the heart of Pudsey and directly next to Asda and M&S, that gives Leigh House its character. You don't expect to find this much nature on the doorstep of a busy retail area, and that contrast is part of the surprise for anyone visiting for the first time.

What Wildlife Actually Lives Here

We get a genuinely impressive amount of activity across the grounds, both day and night. Between what we see with our own eyes and what our wildlife camera picks up, here's a rundown of what calls Leigh House home:

• Foxes, mostly active at night, often seen playing near our water and food sources
• Squirrels, who roam the grounds daily and become especially active in autumn and winter
• Nesting birds, with various species using the feeding station and trees throughout the year
• Honeybees, with managed hives thriving through spring and summer

What Our Wildlife Camera Has Taught Us

About 10 months ago we set up a wildlife camera on the grounds, mainly out of curiosity about what was happening after everyone had gone home for the day. It's turned out to be one of the best small investments we've made.

The biggest surprise has been the foxes. Watching them play around the grounds at night, using the same food and water sources the birds and squirrels rely on during the day, gave us a much fuller picture of just how much life passes through Leigh House when no one's around. It's one thing to assume you've got wildlife nearby. It's another to actually watch it happening on camera.

Our Managed Honeybee Hives

One of the things I'm proudest of at Leigh House is our honeybees. These aren't wild colonies that have simply turned up. We have managed hives on site, looked after daily by a colleague who tends to them and harvests the honey.

Several of our tenants have tried the honey, and the feedback has been brilliant. People are genuinely surprised that honey produced yards from their office desk tastes as good as it does. It's a small thing, but it's the kind of detail that makes Leigh House memorable for the people who work here.

A Feeding Station Everyone Can See

Right in the centre of the grounds, we have a feeding station that all our tenants can see from their windows. It's become a real point of interest. Throughout the day people can watch different birds and squirrels coming and going, and it's sparked more conversations than I expected.

One story that's stuck with me is when tenants spotted a baby bird that had fallen from their nest. They came and told us straight away, and we were able to rescue the chick and put them back. It's a small moment, but it shows how invested people become once they start noticing the wildlife around them.

How Tenants Respond to Life at Leigh House

The reaction from tenants has been overwhelmingly positive. They love watching the daily activity, particularly during the day when the birds and squirrels are most visible. Understandably, nobody's around to see the foxes at night, but the camera footage means we can still share those moments with everyone the next day.

What I find most rewarding is that people don't just observe from a distance. They ask questions, they tell us when something's happened, like the fallen chick, and they genuinely seem to care about what's going on in the grounds. It's become part of the day-to-day culture here.

Does Wildlife Actually Add Value to a Workspace?

In my opinion, yes, without question. Not many serviced office spaces can offer this kind of setting, and I think that's a genuine point of difference for Leigh House.

Beyond being nice to look at, I believe it contributes to wellbeing in a real way. Tenants can wander the grounds, sit outside and work when the weather allows, and get some proper fresh air and vitamin D during their working day. That's not something you get in a typical office block, and it's something I think more workspaces should think about offering.

Supporting Wildlife Through the Seasons

We try to make sure the wildlife at Leigh House is supported all year round, not just when it's convenient. Through autumn, winter and into spring, we keep the feeding station topped up for the birds and squirrels, since that's when natural food sources are harder to come by.

We've also planted new additions to the grounds this year, and it's something we plan to keep doing year on year, adding a little more each season to support the wildlife that's already made Leigh House its home.

What We Want People to Take Away

If you've never visited Leigh House, what I'd want you to know most is the welcome you'll get, both from us and from the grounds themselves. We want every visitor to feel that WOW factor the moment they see the front of the building and the size of the gardens and grounds.

Whether you spot a fox on camera, hear about our honeybees, or simply notice the birds at the feeding station, we want you to feel comfortable and welcome at Leigh House, wildlife and all.