Taking a morning stroll in The Hollies: Past the student hang outs of Headingley is The Hollies, one of Leeds’ hidden gems. Head up early in the morning to stroll the beautifully laid out Meanwood Park before crossing the stream that runs along its edge and entering the wild…
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Leeds Attractions
Despite its longtime reputation as a grimy northern industrial city, Leeds will surprise you with the beauty and diversity of its City Centre, where £400 million has been invested during the past decade, both in new construction and renovation of warehouses and landmark Victorian structures into homes, lodgings, shops, and restaurants along the waterfront and in the central shopping district.
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- The Performing Arts
City Varieties Music Hall
Britain's longest-running music hall continues to draw crowds for a varied program of top comedians, pantomime, and live music. Reopened in 2011 after major restoration, this Victorian-era venue still stages two seasons yearly of the The Good Old Days, a hit television show that ran…City Center
- Historic Site
Harewood House
Former home to the Earl of Harwood, this 18th-century art-filled house is set in 100 acres of 'Capability' Brown's landscaped gardens. The State Rooms boast some of the best of British creations, including paintings by Turner and Reynolds, Chippendale's furniture and Robert Adams'…Harewood - Historic Site
Kirkstall Abbey
Nestling on the River Aire in picturesque parkland, this medieval Cistercian abbey has well-preserved ruins dating back to 1152. Step back to the life of 12th-century monks as you explore where they ate, prayed and slept, along pathways with pointed archways. A short walk away at… Leeds City Art Gallery
This gallery, founded in 1888 and spread over 3 floors, houses England's best collection of 20th-century art outside of London. The collections include French post-Impressionist paintings, contemporary British sculpture, prints, watercolors, and drawings. It also hosts visiting…- Park/Garden
Roundhay Park
Swans, grebes and heron glide Waterloo Lake inside this vast park, one of Europe's largest at over 700 acres and venue of some of Yorkshire's biggest concerts. Inside, small themed plantations include the Alhambra Gardens, echoing those in Spain, and the Monet Gardens, inspired by… - Historic Site
Temple Newsam House
Birthplace, in 1545, of the ill-fated Lord Darnley, husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, this grand residence was begun in 1521 but largely remodeled in the 17th and 18th centuries. Nestled in vast woodland, farmland, and Capability Brown-designed parkland, it's another good spot for a… The Henry Moore Institute
Located next door to the City Art Gallery, this is one of the largest sculpture galleries in Europe. The institute is named after the greatest British sculptor of the 20th century, Henry Moore (1898-1986), who was a Yorkshireman. Three galleries of changing exhibitions display the…- Train Station
The Middleton Railway
Step back to the glorious age of rail at the world's oldest continuously working railway, founded in 1758. Originally built to carry coal cheaply from the Middleton pits to Casson Close in Leeds, 2012 sees its 200th anniversary of the first commercial steam locomotives. These days,…
Leeds Shopping
Shopping
It’s no surprise that Leeds is dubbed ‘Knightsbridge of the North’. On bustling Briggate, browse the designer boutiques inside the magnificently restored marble and mosaic of the Victoria Quarter. Once derelict, the transformed waterfront area now brims with life, hosting quirky markets and arty stores with weekend entertainment. Find one-off gems and innovative styles in Leeds’s famous vintage shops tucked away around Kirkgate Market.
Leeds Nightlife
Thanks to a city initiative aimed at relaxing licensing restrictions and increasing late-night entertainment options, it's safe to say that Leeds now rocks 'round the clock. And it was already humming with classical concerts, opera, jazz, dance, theater, cinema, rock and dance clubs, cafes, and pubs.
The Club & Music Scene
Leeds has a thriving rock scene, with recent bands, such as Sisters of Mercy and the Mission, rising out of the music scene. Today's up-and-coming music scene, not surprisingly, is very influenced by the Manchester scene, but innovative bands such as Black Star Liner, Bedlam A Go Go, and Embrace show that Leeds still has a musical voice all its own.
The Cockpit, Bridge House, Swinegate (tel. 01132/441573; www.thecockpit.co.uk), can host about 600 fans, who turn out to hear the latest indie bands in a converted railway arch setting. It's usually open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday night, with a cover ranging from £3 to £5.
You'll find the jazz you're looking for at Arts Café, 42 Call Lane (tel. 01132/438243; www.artscafebar.co.uk), a European-style cafe-bar that offers tapas, bottled beers, and coffees.
Considering its size, there is a substantial gay scene in Leeds. The most popular club at the moment is Queens Court, Lower Briggate (tel. 01132/459449; www.queens-court.co.uk). Downstairs is a restaurant and bar. Queens Court is open Monday to Wednesday noon to 2am, Thursday noon to midnight, Friday and Saturday noon to 3am, and Sunday noon to 11pm. The cover charge ranges from £2 to £5. Another current hot spot for gay men is the Bridge Inn, 1-5 Bridge Inn (tel. 01132/444734), which has a friendly-local-pub atmosphere and becomes increasingly clubby as the night progresses (no cover).
Pubs
Stop by Whitelocks, Turks Head Yard (tel. 01132/453950), in the alley of Briggate, next to Marks & Spencer. There's a copper-topped bar with a handmade ceramic-tile front, a marble sandwich bar, old advertising mirrors, and stained-glass windows. Locals keep the conversation flowing in a thick, northern accent. If you get hungry, there's cheap traditional pub grub. Tap selections are varied and quite good, including McEwan's 80, Younger's IPA, and Theakston's Old Peculiar.
Hearkening back to Leeds's glory days, Victoria, Great George Street (tel. 01132/451386), is every bit as Victorian as its name suggests, with ornate globe lamps, etched mirrors, and a well-adorned bar. Politicians and lawyers frequent the place. Join in the conversation or sit back and listen while you enjoy a pint of Tetley's Mild and maybe a bar snack or two.
The Performing Arts
Leeds Town Hall, The Headrow (tel. 01132/477989), hosts orchestras from around the globe as part of the city's annual International Concert Season and is also home to the world-famous Leeds International Pianoforte Competition, held every 3 years. Opera North offers three to four productions during its season from October to April at the Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House, 46 New Briggate (tel. 01132/226222; www.leedsgrandtheatre.com), featuring a well-renovated 1,500-seat auditorium behind its original 1878 Victorian facade.
Theatergoers are much impressed by the facilities at the £12-million West Yorkshire Playhouse, Playhouse Square, Quarry Hill (tel. 01132/137700; www.wyplayhouse.com), home to the "national theatre of the north." Playhouse artistic director Jude Kelly started out strong in the early inaugural seasons, with 17 productions, including eight British or world premieres. There has been no slowing down since then, and you can find a dramatic offering at most any time in either the Playhouse's Quarry Auditorium, which seats 750, or the Courtyard, which seats 350. The Playhouse, which is the cornerstone of a proposed £70-million Quarry Hill arts complex, also hosts other events throughout the year, including the annual Jazz at the Playhouse series.
The Yorkshire Dance Centre, St. Peters Building, York Street (tel. 01132/438765; www.yorkshiredance.com), houses the internationally renowned Phoenix Dance Troupe.
