To its immediate south is Weetwood, to the west are Cookridge and Holt Park, to the east are Alwoodley and Moortown, and to the north are Bramhope, Arthington and Eccup.

Adel is situated near the site of a Roman fort, the ancient road from Tadcaster to Ilkley passing nearby.

(The footpath by the side of Long Causeway was said to be made from the original Roman stones, until they were removed by the council in the 1960s because they were unsafe.

Some of the footpath has been replaced, starting at the junction between Long Causeway and Stairfoot Lane, and continuing up to the entrance of Bedquilts playing fields.)

Among the foundation stones of Roman buildings found near Eccup Moor in 1702 were two altars, inscribed PIENTISSIMA, and D.M.S.

[5] The Roman name for the area is long thought to have been Burgodunum, but the Yorkshire Archaeological Society argues that this is "dubious".

It has also been suggested that this was shortened to Burden, which is similar in sound to the Celtic Verdun, found in Belgium.

At the same time, the church of St John the Baptist was built in Adel to replace the older Saxon building.

The doorway, protected by a modern wooden roof, has an ornately carved arch with animals heads and zig-zag patterns; inside, there are 81 decorative corbels on the north and south walls with animals and representations of Christ's baptism and crucifixion, and the chancel arch has 37 grotesque beakheads and zig-zag decoration.

[24] The sculpture has been understood to represent the animal swallowing a person,[25] a warning of mankind's fate at the Day of Judgment,[21] but it has also been suggested that 'there is nothing exaggeratedly fearsome about this lion that we should assume the man is being eaten ... he could be waking up, taking a breath, coming out of the mouth rather than being chewed or swallowed'.

Leeds Birdwatchers' Club originally developed the site and the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust acquired the reserve in 1987.

Close to Adel Church is York Gate, an old farmhouse with a landscaped garden and a pavement maze in the driveway.