Leeds - city in West Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom

Leeds is the largest city in the county of West Yorkshire and the third largest city in Britain, though its urban area size falls behind that of Manchester. Once a major industrial centre, the city today is better known for being the largest UK financial centre outside of London, and for its impressive shopping, nightlife, universities and sports facilities. Leeds also has a growing cultural reputation, being home to many museums, restaurants and theatres, and a mixture of Georgian, Victorian, 20th and 21st century architecture.

Districts

Central Leeds

Covering the Civic Quarter for city museums and Millennium Square, the Central Shopping District, Exchange Quarter centred on the Corn Exchange, Gay Village, Financial District focussed on Park Square, Riverside for upmarket shopping and the Royal Armouries, and trendy post-industrial Holbeck

North East Leeds

including Chapel Allerton, trendy north Leeds area bursting with al fresco bars and restaurants and Roundhay an attractive, leafy and well-heeled district of north Leeds, home to the vast and beautiful Roundhay Park, Tropical World, and a small selection of exclusive shops and eateries supplemented by those in nearby Oakwood.

North West Leeds

including Headingley, the lively student and sports district

West Leeds

South Leeds

East Leeds

Understand

Leeds (derived from the Celtic area Leodis) was voted UK's favourite city in Condé Nast's Readers' Traveller Awards 2003. It was a market town that became an industrial powerhouse and grew and developed into a service-based city economy with an attractive, smart centre.

Roman Leeds was an important strategic fort, ford and small settlement on the York-Chester road. Recorded in the Domesday book of 1086, it became a thriving market town in the Middle Ages, gaining its town charter from the King in 1207. The medieval city was based around Briggate, Kirkgate, Swinegate and The Calls. (The ending "-gate" came from the old Norse for 'street'.) It was a trading centre in the West Riding of Yorkshire for cloth and wool; from Bradford, Halifax and Huddersfield to the port of Hull, east along the river Aire and the 1699 Aire & Calder Navigation canal. Whilst the town grew rapidly (population over 30,000 in the eighteenth century, when the gracious Georgian West End was built), it was for a long time economically overshadowed by nearby York.

The industrial revolution brought about massive change as it became a huge manufacturing centre of wool and textiles and a major trading centre (with over half the country's export passing through for a period). Leeds became known as the city of a thousand trades and by the middle of the nineteenth century the population had passed 200,000. Bolstered by the 1816 Leeds-Liverpool Canal and the Leeds-Selby railway in 1835 (The Middleton Railway was the world's first commercial railway, 1758 Railway Act, from The Middleton colliery to coal-staithes (sidings) at Meadow Lane just south of Leeds Bridge), the city continued to grow and prosper rapidly, with grandiose architectural manifestations of the Victorian city's wealth built in abundance, and expanding affluent suburbs to the north. Leeds University was created around the 1880s, bringing an intellectual dimension, and Leeds was served by one of the world's most extensive tram systems (sadly later replaced by buses). A garden in Roundhay, Leeds was the location of the world's first moving images, filmed in 1888 by Frenchman Louis le Prince (who later disappeared in mysterious circumstances). Leeds was granted city status in 1893.

By the 20th century, Leeds's population was approaching 500,000. Whilst Leeds suffered far less than many other large UK cities from the WWII blitz, it was affected by the mass industrial decline of the country in the post-war period, and became characterised by unemployment and huge council estates. Versatility enabled it to survive and it began to prosper in the 1980s, when renovation of the centre and waterfront, and demolition of some of the worst estates began. By the 1990s the city was reborn with wealth based on service industries and commerce, the financial and legal centres making it the most important city in the UK in these areas outside London. With the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Royal Armouries, restoration of the Victoria Quarter and Corn Exchange, the clean up of major historical buildings, the new Harvey Nichols store and new bars, shops and restaurants - all in the mid 1990s, the city was truly on the move. The 2011 Census shows Leeds with a population of just over 751,000.

Today, Leeds is still one of the most cosmopolitan, fast-growing, innovative and prosperous cities in the UK with developments springing up by the week and new bars, boutiques, clubs and restaurants seemingly more often, the two universities adding to the vibrancy, and international eateries and shops.

Tourist information centre

Visit Leeds and Art Gallery Shop, The Headrow, Leeds, LS1 3AA.

Get in

By plane

• Leeds Bradford Airport (IATA: LBA), Whitehouse Lane LS19 7TU (Ten miles northwest of city centre), 53.866°, -1.661°. LBA has a good choice of flights from Western Europe, e.g. Amsterdam, Barcelona, Brussels, Dublin, Dusseldorf, Geneva, Paris, Rome, and within the UK from Guernsey, Jersey, Southampton, and London Heathrow (though if you're travelling from London rather than flying into Heathrow, it's far quicker to get to Leeds by train). Flights from Eastern Europe expanded in 2019, but LBA doesn't have long-haul flights. Several budget airlines serve LBA, and Jet2 is based here. 2019-08-16,

As of 2020, there are fewer domestic flights than usual in the UK. Eastern Airways continues to fly.

LBA doesn't have a motorway or direct rail link so the journey through traffic can be slow and anxious. Bus 757 runs frequently between LBA and Leeds bus station (35 mins); other buses run to Bradford, Otley, Harrogate, Ilkley, and Keighley. The closest station is Horsforth, approximately 1 mile away from the terminal. Taxis are plentiful.

By car, the terminal front drop-off area charges £3 for 30 mins, so use the area a little further away (signed) which is free for one hour. Car parks for LBA are:

• On airport Short Mid & Long stay, Premium and Meet & Greet
• LBA's official off-site park is Viking half a mile away on Warren House Lane.
• Sentinel is a mile away on Warren House Lane LS19 7FT

• Manchester Airport (MAN) is usually the best option for long-haul flights in this region. Direct trains from the airport run to Leeds hourly (90 mins) daytime, otherwise change at Manchester Piccadilly.

By train

See also: Rail travel in Great Britain

Leeds is one of the major hubs of the British railway network, with direct trains from London King's Cross (two per hour taking 2 hrs 15 mins by LNER), Wakefield, Huddersfield, Manchester Piccadilly, Victoria and Airport (two per hour, 80 min), Liverpool, York, Scarborough, Durham, Newcastle, Hull, Bradford, Skipton, Ilkley, Harrogate, Morecambe, Carlisle via the scenic Ribbleshead route, Blackburn, Preston, Blackpool, Sheffield, Nottingham, Derby, Birmingham, Bristol and the southwest, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Leeds Railway Station 📍 (called Leeds City locally) is central, by Wellington St and Boar Lane, next to Queens Hotel in City Square. Access to all platforms is gated, but there is a very large retail and dining concourse with ticket kiosks and machines, free toilets and lots of seating. Pick-up and drop-off are available from the Wellington entrance, with taxi hire available at the New Station Street entrance.

By car

Leeds is possibly the best connected UK city by road, lying in the centre of the country, halfway between London and Edinburgh and halfway between Liverpool (west coast) and Hull (east coast). The M1 motorway runs from London via Milton Keynes, Leicester, Nottingham, and Sheffield, and passes about 2 miles east of Leeds, to join the A1(M) at Wetherby to the north east of the city. The A1(M) comes down from Edinburgh, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Durham, and North Yorkshire. The M62 trans-Pennine motorway, which runs from Liverpool via Manchester to Hull, passes about 3 miles to the south of Leeds. The M621 motorway runs between the M1 and M62 via the south of the city centre. Park & Ride schemes are in operation from Elland Road (M621) and Temple Green (M1 North). A new site at Stourton (M1 South) is under construction as of October 2020. For much of the journey into Leeds, buses run on a guided busway beside (or down the middle of) the main road and are given priority over cars. (See National Park and Ride Directory.) Enterprise Car Club, a national car 'club' (i.e. car hire organisation which charges from £60 annual membership fee) has a branch in Leeds, and offers pay-by-the-hour car hire across the city. Cars are accessible via a smart card and PIN.

By bus

National Express has direct coaches to Leeds from London Victoria roughly hourly, taking five hours. Other direct routes are Manchester (hourly), Liverpool, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Newcastle and Edinburgh. Megabus has direct buses from London Victoria every couple of hours. Other direct routes are Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle.

Leeds City Bus Station 📍 is located in the east of the City Centre on York Street, a mile from the railway station. The western concourse is National Express's long-distance coach hub, while the east side has regular buses out of the city to the region including the Airport, Bradford, Wakefield, Harrogate, Ripon and York. City buses stop on the adjacent streets and don't pull in here. The station is open 24 hours: there's Greggs, but better eating choices outside, eg in the market hall adjacent.

By boat

Ferries sail overnight from Rotterdam (Netherlands) to Kingston upon Hull. Hull is an hour by train or car from Leeds, and the ferry port is 3 miles east of Hull city centre: buses run from there to the railway station.

Get around

On foot

If you're just visiting the city centre, you might as well walk, as much of it is surprisingly compact with most of the major attractions and shops being within walking distance of one another. Leeds has aspirations to have one of the largest traffic-free city centres in Europe and as of 2020 is gradually pedestrianising more and more streets. To orientate yourself, free maps (quite simple but good for basic orientation) are available at the tourist information and a number of visitor attractions. There are some street maps dotted around the city centre, in guide books, street atlases, etc. Getting around central Leeds is fairly easy.

By bus

Public transport within Leeds is good - most major bus routes within the city are every 10 minutes or so. Information about busses can be obtained either from the Corn Exchange Bus Point, where the First Travel Centre is staffed from 9am to 5:30pm Monday to Friday and from 9am to 4:30pm on Saturdays or from the Leeds City Bus Station whose Information Help Point has the same opening hours.

Metro (West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority) provides local bus and train information on its website, and has "Find your next bus" on its website.

For visitors wishing to explore Leeds city centre CityBus (Route no.5, operated by First) - loops around much of the city centre every 6–7 minutes between 6:30AM and 7:30PM; one journey costs £1, or you can use a bus pass. If using this service at busy times of day it's best to catch the bus at either the Bus Station or Rail Station; if a bus is full, it will not stop to take on more passengers and you could be waiting in excess of an hour. This bus is no longer free.

First runs most of the bus services within Leeds. If you are making more than a couple of short bus trips, the best option is to buy a "FirstDay" day ticket for £4.30 (cheaper on mobile) , which allows unlimited travel on First Bus routes within Leeds or £4.90 (cheaper on mobile) for all First Bus routes within West Yorkshire.

Useful bus routes for visitors include the following:

• 1 - Holt Park (North West Leeds) - Headingley - Universities - City centre - Beeston (south Leeds)
• 2 - Roundhay Park - Moortown - Chapel Allerton - City Centre - Middleton (south Leeds)
• 3/3A - White Rose Shopping Centre (South Leeds) - City Centre - Chapel Allerton - Gledhow
• 4 - Whinmoor - Seacroft Shopping Centre - St James's University Hospital - City Centre - West Leeds - Pudsey.
• 12 & 13/13A - Middleton (south Leeds - City Centre - Harehills - Oakwood - Roundhay Park (12)/Gledhow (13/13A)
• 14 Leeds Bus Station - Leeds Train Station - Armley - Bramley - Stanningley - Pudsey
• 16/16A - Seacroft Shopping Centre - City Centre - Armley - Bramley - Rodley - Pudsey Bus Station
• 18/18A - Ireland Wood (north west Leeds) - Headingley (cricket ground) - City Centre - East Leeds - Selby Road - Garforth
• 28 - Adel - Headingley - Universities - City Centre - Clarence Dock
• 33/33A - City Centre - Kirkstall - Horsforth - Rawdon - Yeadon - Guiseley - Otley
• 40 Seacroft Shopping Centre - Cross Gates - City Centre
• 42 - Old Farnley - Wortley - City Centre - Burmantofts - St James's University Hospital - Fearnville
• 49 & 50/50A - East Leeds - St James' University Hopital - City Centre - Burley Road - Bramley (49) - Horsforth (50/50A)
• 51/55 Morley (south of Leeds) - Elland Road (Leeds United football ground) - City Centre - Meanwood - Moor Allerton Shopping Centre
• 56 - Whinmoor - East Leeds - City Centre - Tinshill (north west Leeds)
• 7 - City Centre - Scott Hall Road - Park & Ride - Alwoodley (Primley Park)
• 72/X6 Leeds Bus Station - Leeds Headrow - Armley - Bramley - Stanningley - Thornbury - Bradford
• X84 Leeds Bus Staiton- Headingley- Otley- Ilkley- Skipton
• 27 - City Centre - Headingley - West Park - Horsforth - Rawdon - Yeadon - Guiseley

Yorkshire Coastliner — to/from York and the beautiful Yorkshire coast.

Cityzap to York

36 bus every 10 minutes to North Leeds, Harrogate and Ripon including Friday and Saturday nights til 03:15.

Dalesbus to Yorkshire Dales National Park on Sunday only

874 Wakefield-Leeds- Ilkley- Grassington-Buckden

875 Wakefield-Leeds- Ilkley- Grassington-Buckden-Hawes (Summer Only).

By taxi

The black and white taxis can be flagged down, but you must phone first for the others.

In the city centre, try Amber Taxis (advance booking only, +44 113 231-1366): you can get around the city centre for £3-7.

In south Leeds, try Local Cars (advance booking only, +44 113 252-8258): a journey for less than a mile is £2.70.

By rail

There is a limited suburban train service which serves some tourist destinations such as Headingley Stadium, but plans over the years for a local metro or tram system have repeatedly hit the buffers.

By boat

There is a shuttle boat between Granary Wharf (for Leeds City Station), Brewery Wharf and Clarence Dock (for the Royal Armouries Museum), operated by Leeds City Cruisers.

See

City centre

Although not considered a 'traditional' tourist destination, Leeds has plenty to occupy the visitor. As well as the main sights, museums, galleries, parks etc., wandering around the buzzing city centre to take in the atmosphere and admire the fantastic blend of architectural styles from the past few hundred years is a pleasure in itself. Within the city centre, the main districts are the civic quarter, central shopping district, exchange quarter and financial district.

• Millennium Square, 53.8015126°, -1.5482998°. There is generally something going on! A great public space home to some gorgeous civic architecture, concerts, exhibitions, ice rinks, Christmas markets. 2015-11-09
• Saint Anne's Cathedral (Cathedral Church of St Anne), Cookridge Street, 53.8006128°, -1.5468836°. Small, but an extremely interesting example of an Arts and Crafts, 19th-century Catholic cathedral - unique within the UK.
• St John's Church, New Briggate, 53.8001344°, -1.5422836°. Hidden away within peaceful gardens lies this true gem, built just before the English Civil War, it has beautiful ornate woodwork in its charming interior, and architecturally it is an extremely rare example of a 17th-century double nave design. 2015-11-09
• Town Hall, The Headrow, 53.8002674°, -1.549706°. The city's symbol and pride and joy, one of the world's finest Victorian buildings, and home to a dazzling array of concerts, particularly during the city's popular and extensive International Concert Season. The restored interior is stunning. 2015-11-09
• Leeds Art Gallery and The Henry Moore Institute, The Headrow, 53.8001122°, -1.5480798°. The world of modern and classical art is at your disposal here in Leeds. It has a small but interesting range of exhibits, and is a great place to kill half an hour. Free. 2015-11-09
• Oxford Place Chapel, Oxford Place, 53.7999095°, -1.5511322°. Lovely 19th-century red-brick baroque church.

• Victoria Quarter including County Arcade, Briggate, 53.7983498°, -1.5410243°. When the Victorian civic authorities sought to improve the sights and foul smells of Briggate and the city centre, they demolished some of the city's dirtiest yards, alleyways, shambles and lanes and built covered shopping arcades filled with fine establishments. These catered for the refined tastes of the growing moneyed classes of Leeds. This rebuilding continued into Edwardian times and the legacy is some of Europe's finest, most elegant shopping locations. Today these arcades are home to some of the most exclusive designer shops in Great Britain (such as Vivienne Westwood, Hugo Boss, Luis Vuitton and Harvey Nichols). 2015-11-09
• Kirkgate Market, Vicar Lane, 53.7971657°, -1.5388691°. This traditional British market is largest in Europe. Housed in an opulent late Victorian palace to commerce, it has both indoor and outdoor stalls. Marks and Spencer had their first establishment here, originally called, 'Marks Penny Bazaar'. 2015-11-09

• Corn Exchange, Call Lane, 53.7959336°, -1.5402003°. Shopping in surroundings to rival any of Leeds' fine arcades. Just to the south of Kirkgate markets on Vicar Lane. Designed by Cuthbert Broderick and architecturally based on the Paris corn exchange. A largely elliptical building, crowned with a great glass dome roof, that allows light to stream in even on the greyest Yorkshire winter mornings. (Broderick was also architect of Leeds town hall and the Leeds Mechanics' Institute, Millennium Square, Two shops designed by Broderick still survive opposite the Mechanics Institute on Cookridge Street, now converted into a cocktail bar.) 2015-11-09
• Leeds Minster (Minster and Parish Church of Saint Peter-at-Leeds), Kirkgate, 53.7951948°, -1.53579°. An attractive and fairly large neo-gothic church with a renowned choir and concerts from time to time. During the rebuilding of the Parish church in Victorian times, the original Saxon crosses where Leeds folk would have worshipped in the 8/9th centuries (well before the first church of Leeds had been founded) were unearthed in the medieval tower and is permanently on display inside. 2015-11-09
• Holy Trinity Church, Boar Lane, 53.796166°, -1.5435684°. An unassuming location and exterior hide an elegant baroque interior, built for the merchant class by subscription and donation so they could worship well away from the lower working classes of the city. The Iconic spire of Holy Trinity has dominated the skyline of the city for hundreds of years and was restored in 2006/7. 2015-11-09
• Park Square, 53.7988576°, -1.5518993°. A lovely Georgian square reminiscent of Dublin, and is often an overlooked haven of tranquility in the city centre. (Hard to find without a map)
• City Square, 53.7965383°, -1.5478384°. With old Post Office and imposing Queens Hotel. 2015-11-09

Brewery Wharf

South across the river from The Call the area around Leeds Dock has some interesting development of cafés, restaurants, shops and apartments as wells as the Royal Armouries Museum and Salem Chapel.

Civic Quarter

Home to the Town Hall, the fantastic Art Gallery, Henry Moore Institute and Millennium Square, this grand corner of the city is where many of the main tourist draws are to be found. The Light with its shops, restaurants, bars, hotel, cinema etc. in a beautifully converted historic building is a major pull, but venture along the Headrow and experience some of the best cultural attractions on offer in the city. The Art Gallery has great rotating exhibitions and the best collection of 20th-century British art outside London. Adjoining it are the Henry Moore Institute and the Central Lending Library with its beautiful Victorian interior. Across the road is the Town Hall (see above), a breathtaking demonstration of civic pride.

On Great George St is a small selection of shops, the 19th-century entrance (with a lovely colonial-style entrance hallway and small gallery space up the stairs) of the Leeds General Infirmary, and the restored Electric Press which is now home to the Carriageworks Theatre and several bars and restaurants, providing a semi-al fresco eating environment for all weather conditions. Next door is the impressive and well-used public space of Millennium Square (see above) with its attractive Mandela Gardens (opened by Mandela himself, now a freeman of the city, they are a lovely spot especially in summer) abutting the Electric Press building. The square is crowned with the Portland Stone neo-classical Civic Hall and the City Museum. Down on Cookridge St is the city's small but unique Arts and Crafts St Anne's Cathedral.

Central Shopping District

The very centre of Leeds is a temple to consumerism. Bounded by the 'Public Transport Box', a rough half mile square between The Headrow, Vicar Lane, Boar Lane and Park Row gives Leeds one of the most compact, busy and diverse pedestrian shopping districts in the UK where the highest concentration of the city centre's stores are to be found.

The principal shopping street is the broad and bustling Briggate, where many flagship stores such as Harvey Nichols and House of Fraser are to be found alongside high-end fashion (e.g. Louis Vuitton) and high street favourites (Topshop, Zara, H&M). Briggate's attractive and eclectic architecture spans three centuries, and the grand shop fronts only add to the streets appeal.

Either side of the top end of Briggate are the city's famous arcades, splendidly palatial Victorian roofed-over shopping streets home to some of the city's most exclusive and interesting shops. The famous Victoria Quarter (Victoria St, County Arcade and Cross Arcade) has some of the most expensive clothes in Leeds. Queen's and Thornton's arcades are a little more affordable with more independent stores. Down from the arcades, several medieval yards (or "loins") run off almost hidden from between shopfronts on Briggate. Whilst some are little more than shop-backs and some are now closed off, some exude genuine historic atmosphere and a few are home to attractive pubs and bars, including The Angel Inn, The Ship, The Bay Horse, Queen's Court and 300-year-old Whitelocks'.

Beyond Briggate, there are several other prominent shopping streets, including gorgeously symmetrical King Edward Street with its matching Victorian Burmantoft terracotta buildings. Commercial Street, Kirkgate, Lands Lane and Albion St are other principal streets in the area, continuing the mix of shops, cafés, lovely architecture. There are also several indoor shopping centres, and a central focal point is tiny but busy Central Square at the base of Lands Lane. Albion Place is a quieter street of elegant Georgian buildings (mainly offices) including the exclusive Leeds Club and the city's central private members library, running between the square and Albion St. Swan Street is a quiet and pretty little street between Briggate and Lands Lane with a few attractive little shops, cafés and bars and a laid-back vibe, as well as the internationally famous City Varieties theatre and music-hall, once home to Charlie Chaplin.

Exchange Quarter

Centred on the massive dome of the Corn Exchange, the Exchange Quarter is the centre of Leeds' bohemian life, with one-off boutiques, funky cafés and piercing parlours filling its pretty cobbled streets. It is becoming increasingly chic, however, with a plethora of upscale bars and stylish restaurants, particularly on Call Lane.

The Corn Exchange dominates the area, sitting squatly at the junction of several major roads. This grand Victorian building is one of the finest in the city, and was a functioning corn market for several decades, but was almost unused for much of the twentieth century, until its restoration to its present form in the 1980s. It now houses a myriad of little boutiques, a few cafés and market stalls. The goth and emo teenagers that hang around outside frequent many of the shops such as Grin and Exit, but there are also a range of fashion and artisan stores to please all, and the beautiful architecture (the shops fit into the retained 19th-century store-fronts, and the domed roof is spectacular from the interior) can be enjoyed by everyone.

Three sides of the Corn Exchange are bounded by semi-pedestrian cobbled streets lined by a hotch potch of attractive Victorian buildings home to shops and restaurants from Blue Rinse (see below) to Pizza Express, housed in the beautiful Third White Cloth Hall, sadly sliced in half by the railway in the mid-nineteenth century, but retaining its lovely façade and clock-tower. Along the railway, the continental feel continues with bars and cafés that spill on to the pavement. Beautiful Assembly Street, a hub of nightlife, is lined with elegant and imposing 18th-century warehouses and has been repaved, and in the summer is a relaxing place to sip a coffee or cocktail and admire the buildings and atmosphere. Nearby Crown Street buildings are a fine example of modern architecture at its finest, sympathetic to the surrounding environment but adding a dash of vibrancy with bright use of colour above its restaurants and bars.

Call Lane, the area's main drag, is a hive of activity in the evenings, with several of the city's best and most stylish bars, all vying for attention. In the day-time however it is much quieter, with a few vintage and alternative clothes stores at the Kirkgate end, and musical instrument shops at the Calls end. There is plenty of enjoyment to be had from wondering around the pretty and historic medieval yards that run between Call Lane and Lower Briggate (at night these too come alive and are full of revelers).

Kirkgate is a fairly downmarket shopping street with a few off-beat stores. However plans are afoot to refurbish the historic town-houses and bring life back into the street as a centre for independent shops, with the renovation of the dilapidated First White Cloth Hall along similar (if smaller) lines to the Corn Exchange. The east end of Kirkgate and New York Street also increasingly have a number of bars and clubs, including the celebrated Northern Light; there are also several new apartment buildings springing up. The end of Kirkgate is market by Leeds Parish Church, a grand (if not enormous) neo-gothic structure home to one of the country's most revered children's choirs. To the west, Central Road links Kirkgate to Duncan Street, and is home to some attractive Flemish-style buildings, a few off-beat shops and the acclaimed Little Tokyo restaurant and Leeds institution the HiFi Club. Duncan Street has a number of small shops.

The Calls was where riverside life restarted in Leeds, with its renovation from a derelict nowhere to the city's most desirable real estate in the 1980s. The apartments lining the waterfront may not be as exclusive or as rare today, but it is still an attractive and expensive area, home to some of Leeds' longest running high-end establishments including 42 The Calls hotel, Pool Court and the Calls Grill. Some of the waterfront and streets around here are surprisingly yet to be fully renovated, but it's unlikely to be long before developers get their claws into the remaining warehouses, railway arches and mill-cottages. Leeds Civic Trust's heritage centre and left-wing arts centre The Common Place fill the gap between the Calls and the railway line.

Financial District

Whilst the Financial District does not have the obvious draws of the Civic Quarter, it is nonetheless an interesting area that deserves at least a little of your time. Roughly bounded by the Headrow and Westgate to the North, the A58 motorway to the West, the River Aire to the South and Park Row to the East, this is the most expensive business real estate in the city. Many large companies have their offices here as do innumerable lawyers, estate agents.

Park Square is probably the number one attraction of the area. Situated just south-west of the Town Hall, this large and handsome Georgian Square has lovely formal gardens that fill up with workers at lunchtime in the warmer months. Whilst most of the square is bounded by rows of 18th century redbrick townhouses that made the square one of the city's most fashionable addresses 200 years ago, the South West corner is home to a little-known architectural highlight of Leeds, a converted warehouse (now offices) built in the 19th century as a replication of a Moorish Palace, complete with turrets and Islamic-style ornate design. The streets to the south of Park Square are a mixture of Georgian townhouses and more modern office buildings sitting cheek-by-jowl. Whilst not hugely diverting, there are several interesting buildings in this area. Wellington Street, a busy thoroughfare which marks the bottom of the Georgian area, has several restaurants and bars as well as being characterised by more modern business development.

Between East Parade and Park Row, two busy main routes through the area, are a series of parallel streets that are home to some of the city's top restaurants and bars, most famously Greek Street. There is a rich patchwork of architecture spanning the past two centuries in this small area, with fine Gothic buildings and sleek modern towers. Park Row itself boasts outstanding buildings such as the Leeds Permanent building, blending seamlessly into modern glass building-fronts.

The south-east corner of the Financial District is City Square, one of the most important hubs of city life. Cleaned up and repaved, the square is still home to bronze nymphs holding gas lights and the famous statue of the Black Prince. The old post office is now the swanky Restaurant Bar & Grill and Loch Fyne seafood restaurant. A rarely beautiful 1990s office block sits at No1 City Square, and the south side is taken up by the Art Deco façade of grand old dame of the Leeds Railway hotel trade, The Queens Hotel (LNER).

Other attractions

• Thackray Medical Museum, Beckett Street (next door to St James' Hospital), 53.808056°, -1.518333°. The best of its kind in the country, with all manner of exhibits and the chance to experience the life of a Victorian child or mill-worker (and their often gruesome medical history). Great for children. 2017-01-19
• Temple Newsam, Temple Newsam Road (off Selby Road), 53.7842°, -1.4595°. One of the great historic estates in England. With over 1500 acres landscaped by Capability Brown in the 18th century, it is a large Tudor–Jacobean mansion housing a large collection of works of art. The garden has some excellent walks and houses a working Rare Breeds farm.
• Harewood House, Harewood Village, 53.896667°, -1.528333°. This huge estate, complete with extensive gardens, lake, lovely café and bird gardens, is owned by the Queen's cousin. The opulent roccoco house itself is well worth a look around.
• Kirkstall Abbey, Abbey Road, Kirkstall, 53.82054°, -1.60806°. Largest abbey in the North of England - see below. One of the UK's biggest and best preserved abbeys, restored with a new visitor centre. It's 3 miles out of town but lovers of history and architecture, or those in search of a beautiful and peaceful spot in the city won't regret making the trip. Buses (33/33a) every 10 minutes from the city centre. Opposite is Abbey House Museum.
• Armley Mills, Canal Road, Armley, 53.800556°, -1.5825°. Excellent museum of industry and Leeds' (major) role in the Industrial Revolution.
• Thwaite Mills, Thwaite Lane, Stourton, 53.7762°, -1.504°. Rare example of a former stone-crushing mill, now an excellent working museum.
• Middleton Railway, Moor Road, Hunslet. The oldest working railway in the world. Situated in South Leeds between Middleton and Hunslet, it used to carry coal from the coal mines to the south of the city to the factories of Hunslet and central Leeds. You can now have a ride on the historic rolling stock.
• Church of St John the Baptist, Church Lane, Adel, 53.85763°, -1.58395°. Whilst a long way out of town, this leafy and extremely affluent suburb has some lovely houses, and is a world a way from the bustle of the city centre - nearby York Gate garden is beautiful and well worth a visit), this lovely and well-preserved early Norman church set in verdant grounds is a hidden treasure
• Bramham Park, Wetherby, 53.870278°, -1.380278°. Another such stately home to the north-east of Leeds with a long history and lovely gardens and grounds.

Future attractions

N.B. under construction or planned for the future:

• Holbeck Urban Village. The complete renovation and restoration of an entire city district. In the south-west of central Leeds, this historic area was key to the Industrial Revolution, and has many buildings and sites of interest, including the stunning Egyptian-style Temple Mill and Italianate Tower Works. The restoration and redevelopment has already begun with the Round Foundry, a new-age village of offices, flats, cafés and media centres complete with traditional paved streets and 200-year old buildings. A plethora of other developments promise that this area will become more and more of an exciting new destination.

Possible itineraries

In fine weather

You'll almost certainly be in the city centre, so why not take in some of the magnificent Victorian architecture on a walking tour?

Start at the train station and head into City Square where you will see the old Post Office and imposing Queens Hotel.

Go up the right of the Old Post Office (Infirmary St) and cross over the road onto Saint Paul's Street.

Take the second street on the right and you will come across the pretty Park Square gardens. Continue along Park Square East until you reach The Headrow, from where you will be able to see the Town Hall.

Turn right along the Headrow and you will also pass the City Library (free to enter) and Art Gallery (also free), you may also want to try a cup of tea in the Tiled Hall Cafe, between the Art Gallery and Library.

Turn left up Cookridge Street, pass the Leeds Cathedral and cross over Great George St. You will now have reached Millennium Square, the Civic Hall and the_City Museum_.

If you turn back towards the Cathedral and take an immediate left after the Cathedral on to St Anne's St. you will come to a small square and the entrance to 'The Light. Inside The Light (open most hours) take the escalators, exiting at the far end on to Albion Street.

A right turn will bring you back to The Headrow. Turn left and you will pass Dortmund Square and the former Allders Department store (now Sainsburys). On the right turn down Briggate, one of the city's main streets. Take a look up some of the arcades on either side of Briggate (you are now in the main shopping quarter), for which Leeds is famous.

On the left you will come to the Victoria Quarter. If this is open take a walk through and exit at the far end. If closed, walk a little further and turn left on to King Edward St.

You are now on Vicar Lane and a right turn will take you past Leeds City Market on the left. Walk a little further and you will see the huge dome of the former Corn Exchange on the left - take a look inside for some quirky individual shops or maybe pop downstairs for a cup of tea at Anthony's.

You can now extend the walk a little along the riverside, or follow Duncan St and Boar Lane back to the train station.

To extend the walk, go around the Corn Exchange along a cobbled street and go under the bridge. Turn left on to The Calls. After a short while you will see a fountain with a huge ball, turn right on to this street (also The Calls). On the right there is a pedestrian bridge - cross the river here and you are in Brewery Wharf. Once over the bridge you need to go left along the river following signs for the Royal Armouries. Eventually you will come to Clarence Dock which has shops and restaurants plus the Royal Armories Museum (free entry). To get back to the station go back the way you came to the Corn Exchange, then follow Duncan Street and Boar Lane.

In bad weather

There's plenty to do to spend a couple of hours. The City Museum, Art Gallery, Henry Moore Institute, Markets, Library and Royal Armories are all free, indoors and walkable in the city centre. Many of the city centre shops are undercover due to being in arcades or shopping centres. The following route tours many of the shops without getting too wet: the Merrion Centre, St Johns Centre, the Core, Queens Arcade, Victoria Quarter then the expansive Trinity Leeds with M&S and next. Out of the city centre, Tropical World costs £3.30, is indoors and very warm in Roundhay, 3 miles north of the city centre.

Do

There are four theatres in central Leeds providing a range of entertainment including opera, amateur dramatic and contemporary performance art.

Leeds is a great place to see up-and-coming live music talent, and has seen the formation of successful bands such as Corinne Bailey Rae, Kaiser Chiefs and Sunshine Underground. The city is home to many live performances from big-name stars, mostly at outdoor concerts. Millennium Square in the city centre regularly has gigs with a 7,000 capacity. Leeds has an indoor concert arena with around 14,000 seats. Concerts are also held at Roundhay Park,Temple Newsam and Harewood House. Also check out musical events at the Leeds Irish Centre, The Wardrobe and Leads University and Leeds Metropolitan University.

There are plenty of leisure centres, gyms and swimming pools across the city, though unfortunately there won't be a public swimming pool in the city centre until the University one is completed. Major city centre fitness/leisure centres are deluxe Esporta, LA fitness and the ubiquitous Virgin Active. Some hotels have great leisure facilities or agreements with local centres for free access for guests. The international standard John Charles Centre for Sport is in South Leeds with facilities for indoor athletics particularly jumping disciplines. Headingley Carnegie Stadium in North West Leeds is home to Yorkshire County Cricket Club, Rugby League (Leeds Rhinos) and Rugby Union (Leeds Tykes). Elland Road in South Leeds is home to Leeds United Football Club. Between January and March the Ice Cube outdoor ice skating ring is set up in Millennium Square.

Whilst hardly tropical, Leeds has an unusually mild and sunny climate for northern England, protected from the worst and wettest weather by the Pennine Hills to the west... this gives more than ample opportunity to explore the fantastic parks of one of Europe's greenest cities (Leeds has the most green space in its city limits of any European city other than Vienna).

• The White Rose Way, Leeds City Square to Scarborough. Take several days, or spread each leg over a number of day walks to complete the 104 miles of the White Rose Way from Leeds to Scarborough

Sports

• Watch cricket at Yorkshire Cricket Ground in Headingley. This is the usual ground of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, one of the 18 "First Class Counties", the top tier of English cricket. County matches normally last 3-4 days. The stadium also frequently hosts international or "Test Matches", lasting up to five days. The stadium is about 2 miles northeast of the centre. YCCC also play at other grounds across Yorkshire.
• Watch football at Leeds United, who were promoted in 2020 and now play in the Premier League, the top tier of English soccer. Their most bitter rivalry is with Manchester United, which widely considered to be a symbol of the longstanding rivalry between Lancashire and Yorkshire. Their stadium (capacity 38,000) is Elland Road LS11 0ES in South Leeds.

Events

• Leeds Lights (Christmas Illuminations). The UK's biggest display, are an annual display from Nov-Jan comprising big show lights and the subtle and beautiful across the city, and are even longer than the legendary Blackpool Illuminations.
• Leeds holds two annual film festivals: the increasingly prestigious Leeds International Film Festival with its huge menu of different films and Leeds Young People's Film Festival.
• Leeds Festival. Northern twin of the famous Reading festival. 3 days of live bands and stars from around the world play to 80,000 people every summer bank holiday weekend. You can camp over, or attend just one day. Tendency to be a bit riotous.
• Leeds International Pianoforte Competition, Leeds Town Hall. Every 3 years (2018). One of the world's most prestigious piano contests, held every 3 years in the magnificent Victorian Town Hall, this event attracts the world's best piano players. Next due to be held 2018.
• Party in the Park, Temple Newsam. Every year, Temple Newsam plays host to the UK's original Party in the Park pop extravaganza featuring big name chart stars of the minute.
• Opera in the Park, Temple Newsam. A massively popular outdoor festival of opera and songs from the shows.

Learn

Leeds is one of the UK and Europe's foremost university cities, with a student population of over 100,000 (more than 10% of the population!) concentrated on several higher educational facilities including the two main universities. This gives the city a young feel and lively buzz, and many bars, clubs and restaurants are geared towards students particularly in Headingley and North West Leeds, although if this isn't your scene the city has plenty to offer away from student life.

• University of Leeds, 53.80659°, -1.55503°. 30,000 students. One of the most important and respected academic institutions in the UK, based around the city centre campus; also a major centre for research. One of the country's original 'red brick' universities. 2022-01-30
• Leeds Beckett University (formerly Leeds Metropolitan University), 53.80335°, -1.54807°. 50,000 full and part-time students. More modern and larger with two main campuses, at Headingley and in the Civic Quarter. Rapidly expanding and improving, with major redevelopment planned in the Civic Quarter. 2022-01-30
• Leeds Trinity University, 53.84824°, -1.64526°. One of the UK's newest universities, known as Trinity & All Saints college until 2012, this smaller institution in the suburb of Horsforth prides itself on maintaining a more close-knit, community feel than its larger counterparts. 2022-01-30
• Leeds Arts University (formerly Leeds College of Art), 53.80877°, -1.55158°. Only receiving its university accreditation in 2017, this institution caters for students wishing to pursue arts degrees in a less academic environment than its more established counterparts. 2022-01-30

Buy

Opening Times

City centre - M-Sa 9AM-8PM, Su 10AM-5PM. Other areas - 9AM-5PM.

There are a large number of city centre shops : modern shopping centres, the lovely arcades and busy streets - principally Briggate, a wide and attractive pedestrian street with all the high street favourites (from time to time there are markets and other events, and there are usually street performances of some kind). Much of the central shopping area is pleasantly pedestrianised, making retail therapy even easier. Leeds has myriad options for shopping including the beautiful Victorian-era shopping arcades, offering anything from the reasonably priced to the expensive items. In November and December, Millennium Square is turned into a Christmas wonderland of stalls, eateries and fairground-rides for Christkindelmarkt - the city's German Christmas market. There are also several outdoor markets held across the city more regularly, including occasional French markets on Briggate. Plans are also afoot for a massive extension of the main shopping district. City Centre Shopping Centres include all:

• Victoria Quarter, Briggate, city centre, 53.798°, -1.541°. Home of Harvey Nichols, North Face, Louis Vuitton, Vivienne Westwood and other shops, the upmarket (and architecturally stunning) jewel in the crown of Leeds' shopping district.
• Thornton's Arcade and Queen's Arcade, city centre (opposite Victoria Quarter). Opposite the Victoria Quarter offer a range of interesting (if mainly fairly pricey) shops including some great boutiques and one-off places.
• Corn Exchange, city centre. A stunning domed interior and a range of shops to please both label-lovers and teenagers, as well as stalls and cafés. There are occasional concerts, exhibitions, fetes and the Christmas decorations are lovely.

• Market, Kirkgate, city centre. The biggest covered market and market on one site in Europe. Fascinating even just for the atmosphere of a traditional British market. Largest indoor market in Europe and also is a beautiful Victorian building and a landmark in Leeds it also has an outdoor market which sells everything from food to clothes to electronics and accessories. Fresh seafood is recommended.
• Granary Wharf. By the canal, has a selection of interesting boutiques, restaurants, exhibition space, a small concert venue, street performers and more in a unique subterranean setting. There is also a regular market. The waterfront area is undergoing redevelopment but the range of shops on offer is set to only get bigger.

The districts of Chapel Allerton, Headingley and Roundhay also offer a smaller (but worthwhile) range of boutiques and other shops. Crossgates in East Leeds has a medium-sized shopping centre and many highstreet shops and cafés, and Horsforth in the North West offers a range of shops and eateries.

Food

Of course, as with almost all of the UK today, supermarkets, M&S Simply Food and other chains dominate the food-shop market, but there are an increasing number of quality independent delicatessens, bakeries and other little food shops across the city. Many out-of-centre areas retain their local shops (though this cannot be said for everywhere) and the city centre has an impressive range on offer, including:

• Chinese. There are Chinese food shops around Vicar Lane and the Templar Street Chinatown Arcade - including a well-stocked East Asian supermarket on Vicar Lane. The best restaurants around are Tong Palace on Vicar Lane, and Red Chili on Great George Street.
• Harvey Nichols Foodmarket, Briggate, city centre. Small, squashed between Fourth Floor Restaurant and Yo Sushi, but it has lots of expensive goodies for that extra special something.
• Out of this World, city centre. Excellent, well stocked, fair-trade organic mini-market offering all the food you could want, but tastier, healthier, more ethically responsible and, admittedly, more expensive.
• Pickles & Potter. Sandwich shop par excellence, this little place just off Lands Lane gets mouths watering. The chocolate brownies are genuinely the best you will ever have. The roast beef sandwich is also highly recommended. Some of the most expensive Pork Pies ever encountered!
• Salvo's Salumeria, Headingley. Range of fine authentic Italian produce.
• Dock Street Market, Dock Street, city centre. Exclusive but excellent deli-cum-mini market.
• Kirkgate Market, Kirkgate, city centre. Kirkgate market (see also above) has a massive range of traditional food stalls - including "Butcher Row" featuring numerous traditional Yorkshire butchers all next door to one another, well-stocked and good value fishmongers, fruit & veg stalls, and other food outlets.

The lively area of Harehills (bus no 12, 13, 49 or 50) in East Leeds has a bad reputation locally for crime and poverty, and whilst it is maybe best not to flash expensive items or visit the area after dark, it is worth visiting for its excellent range of food shops, cafés and restaurants mainly from Eastern Europe and Kurdistan. A true cultural melting pot, the area has everything from Jamaican grill-houses to Indian restaurants, Persian tea-shops to Eastern European supermarkets, and if you want to experience authentic international food or simply see another side of the city, it is an interesting place to go - and prices are far lower than in many other areas. There are many shawarma restaurants, in particular.

Books, CDs, DVDs

Leeds has all the major chains such as HMV, Waterstones, WHSmith, etc. and also a variety of smaller independent shops including Crash Records on The Headrow and Jumbo Records in the St. John's Centre, which hosts fairly regular instore performances (there's also lots of second hand places - including a massive, well-stocked Oxfam Books & Music in Headingley).

Eat

There are many restaurants in central Leeds that everyone can find something to their taste and budget. There are all the usual chains (many of which have several branches in the city) and a huge variety of one-off places, including many award-winners. Headingley, Chapel Allerton, Roundhay and various other districts outside the centre also have a range of quality eateries (whilst a few places in these areas are mentioned below, fuller selections can be found on their respective guides).

Café culture is thriving in Leeds, with a great number of places for a lunch or lighter meal, and there are also many fine curry houses in the city, due to the large South Asian population.

Leeds has a successful annual food and drink festival, held at the end of August, with many free events bookable in advance.

Drink

Leeds' two large universities mean there is a vibrant, diverse and thumping nightlife scene including many clubs as well as a huge range of fine drinking establishments from traditional pubs to ultra chic concept bars. It is estimated that there are over 180 city centre bars and pubs, and around 29 nightclubs with late licenses. Railway arches are increasingly popular homes for bars and clubs across the city centre. Leeds City Guide is a good source of information, as is the comprehensive (and excellent) listings magazine the Leeds Guide. Leeds was voted Number one city for clubbing (dead link: February 2023). All areas (indeed, most streets) of central Leeds offer something in the way of nightlife, but the main areas are:

• Call Lane in the Exchange Quarter (one of the city's main nightlife districts), offering a range of bars (which many would argue are the best in the city) from chic to bohemian. The area around the Calls and the Parish Church has overspill from Call Lane and some great waterfront bars and restaurants.
• The 'yards' off Briggate are home to both traditional pubs and modern bars and clubs.
• Boar Lane is for the most part made up of standard chain bars and more downmarket drinking establishments, but a few buck the trend.
• Architecturally lovely Assembly Street has a select number of swanky bars, clubs and restaurants.
• Greek Street is expensive, but in between the high-end exclusivity are tackier bars attracting a less desirable crowd at weekends.
• New York Street is becoming increasingly popular.
• The Northern Quarter, centred on New Briggate and spreading north (and down Grand Arcade) is home to several older Leeds institutions but is now up-and-coming with many hot new venues.
• The Civic Quarter has everything: flashy bars in the Electric Press, traditional pubs, and loud, trendy bars and clubs above Millennium Square
• The financial district has a number of dispersed, chic watering holes. Park Row continues along the same lines as Greek Street
• Brewery Wharf on the south bank is growing as a drinking destination
• Lower Briggate is the centre of the gay community, and a variety of establishments in the area reflect this, though most are welcoming (and many are popular with) the straights.

Out of the city centre, the districts of Headingley and Chapel Allerton are extremely popular for bars and restaurants. Exclusive Street Lane in Roundhay is also becoming increasingly popular. (See their respective guides for details on specific drinking spots in these areas.)

Leeds Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) (dead link: January 2023) offer free pub guides from their website. What follows is a selection of some of Leeds' highlights, but it is by no means definitive or all-inclusive.

Leeds' thriving gay village (the city's first annual Pride festival was launched in 2006) has a number of venues, including the ever-popular old stalwart Queen's Court, Lower Briggate housed in a fine 17th-century building, among notable others including Fibre, The Bridge Inn, Blayds Bar, The New Penny, The Viaduct and Religion to name a few.

Leeds was voted Best UK City for Clubbing, certainly not for nothing! People flock to the city from all parts of the country for a bit of the action. It is common to meet clubbers from London on a night out. The city centre is packed to bursting with bars and clubs, ranging from cutting edge chic to indie and alternative to cheesy tunes for the drunken masses to small select places for people who really like their music (house is still very much in vogue in Leeds, but whatever your musical taste is, you are guaranteed to find something).

There are several gay nights (and fully gay venues) in clubs on and around Lower Briggate, including Mission, Fibre and Queen's Court.

The West Indian Centre on Chapeltown Road has a reputation for great fun nights of a less-mainstream kind, including ever-popular monthly Subdub. Whilst the venue itself is friendly and safe (or as safe as can be expected from a club), Chapeltown has a bad reputation, and to avoid trouble, go in fairly large groups and don't wonder around outside. It is best to take a taxi or at least a bus. Don't walks the two miles from the centre as it is very difficult to find the place, and it is near rough estates.

Leventhorpe Vineyard is near Woodlesford in East Leeds.

Sleep

Leeds is a major business centre, so if the business hotel chains are within your budget, you'll have plenty of choice, especially weekends and off-peak. City centre offerings include Ibis, Jury's Inn, Marriott, Hilton, Novotel, Crowne Plaza, and Holiday Inn Express. You won't go wrong with any of these; check the standard booking websites or the hotels direct for rates & availability. Mid to top end, if your parents are coming to watch you graduate, point them at the Malmaison or the Queens, a vast Art Deco megalith right over the railway station. There's more at the city's edge by the motorway junction, if you have your own car.

Leeds frankly doesn't do budget & back-packer: the city's large youth hostel has closed permanently. There are only two hostels left in the city, the Art Hostel and Russell Scott Backpackers. In the university holidays, uni accommodation may be available, if it's not booked out to a conference. At the other end of the budget, Leeds doesn't do splurgy upmarket hotels: these are away out in the countryside, too far out to be listed here. There are, however, several 4-star hotels in the city.

Stay safe

Leeds is known as a friendly city, but as with any other city, the usual tips about exercising a degree of common caution apply: leave no valuables unattended, avoid going to badly lit/shady/unknown places by yourself or walk around alone at night etc.

There are some notorious areas of Leeds at night with seedy reputations, such as the unrejuvenated areas of Chapeltown , Holbeck and Mabgate. Whilst by and large these places are safe by day, it is best to proceed with caution after dark.

Avoid displaying any memorabilia or clothing of Manchester United (the main football rival of local club Leeds United). Leeds residents might have a healthy sense of humour but think twice before making harsh criticisms of their city which they are proud of. If you do encounter any trouble, the emergency services (police, ambulance, fire) number is the same as for the rest of the country: 999, or the new European wide emergency number: 112. To contact the police in a non emergency, dial 101.

If you do get ill in Leeds, there are NHS and private medical practices. The Light complex houses a NHS walk-in centre. Leeds is home to two of Europe's largest hospitals : Leeds General Infirmary (in the Civic Quarter) and rapidly expanding St James's University Hospital (a couple of miles east of the City Centre and just south of Harehills), and many smaller hospital and PCTs across the wider city area. As with the rest of the UK, tap water is safe to drink, and you are unlikely to come across any major health risks .

Cope

The main tourist information office for the city is in Leeds Art Gallery on the Headrow, but there are various other information points across the city (e.g. Central Lending Library, The Headrow). For foreign visitors Leeds has a range of consulates, including: German, 1 Whatehall Road, City Centre, and Greek, 8 Street Lane, Roundhay.

There are 12 Changing Places toilet facilities within 5 miles (8 km) of Leeds city centre, equipped with hoists, height adjustable changing benches and other facilities to enable people with multiple and profound disabilities to be changed and so enabling tourists with these needs to visit Leeds attractions in safety and dignity and stay as long as they wish. Sites include the Central Library Tiled Cafe, Chevin Forest Park, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Headingley HEART, Armley Leisure Centre, Morley Leisure Centre, White Rose Shopping Centre and Temple Newsom.

Go next

Leeds is a major transport hub, so many outlying attractions can be done as day trips. Several are major centres in their own right and worth a longer visit - see their separate pages. Train is a good option for most, though rural spots may need a car or bike-on-train.

To the north:

• Harrogate — elegant, upmarket Victorian spa town, ringed by parks (including the extensive Valley Gardens). The taste of the original spa water is not soon forgotten. Frequent trains from Leeds, some continuing to Knaresborough, a small medieval market town where the ruins of a castle sit dramatically above the Nidd gorge. For Ripon use the express bus (Route 36).
• Saltaire, near Bradford but you reach it via the Skipton train, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, an industrial village built by magnate Titus Salt. Within it is the Hockney gallery. These trains call next at Keighley, where the branch line to Haworth and the Bronte Country is often steam-hauled.
• End of the commuter line is Skipton, with its imposing castle, market town centre and canal walks. Some trains continue to Gargrave (where the canal climbs over the Pennines by a flight of locks), thence to Settle, Carnforth, Morecambe and Carlisle. You probably need your own car to delve deeper into Yorkshire Dales National Park. Other places of interest include Bolton Abbey, Ingleborough, Pen y Ghent, Grassington and Beamsley Beacon. See also North York Moors National Park.
• Studley Royal Park and Fountains Abbey — you probably need your own car for this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

To the east:

• York is one of the few walled cities in Britain, with excellent museums, the cathedral, and views from the walls walk. 30 min by frequent train.
• Kingston Upon Hull or Hull for short, a 700-year-old port. Many museums in the cobbled old town, but the stand-out attraction is the walk-through aquarium, The Deep. Also in this area, see Beverley and Castle Howard. It is an hour away by train.
• On the Yorkshire coast, the main towns are Scarborough, Filey and Bridlington (these have frequent trains) plus Whitby for Goths, vampires and potted crab.

To the south:

• In the centre of Wakefield see the Hepworth Gallery. Train, or bus 110 from Leeds every ten minutes. Further out so you need a connecting bus from Wakefield are Yorkshire Sculpture Park and the National Coal Mining Museum.
• Sheffield has multiple industrial heritage attractions and the North's largest theatre district. The wider South Yorkshire area hosts the Magna Science Adventure Centre and is the gateway to exploring the Peak District.

To the west:

• Bradford has the National Media Museum (formerly the National Museum of Film and Photography). Frequent train, or an hour by bus.
• Ilkley is a small spa town with Ilkley Moor brooding above. The Cow and Calf are notable climbable rock formations. Frequent commuter trains. For Otley, use the express bus (X84).
• Halifax has Eureka! The Museum For Children. Other scenic nearby towns, often used as locations for film & TV, include Huddersfield, Hebden Bridge, Todmorden and Holmfirth.
• And then there's the giant Manchester, less than an hour away.

Further afield:

Other major centres in the north of England, within 2 or 3 hours travel, include Lincoln, Liverpool, Chester, the Lake District, Durham and Newcastle upon Tyne. Another hour or so gets you to Edinburgh and Glasgow.