Leeds: a short guide

Leeds may not be everyone’s idea of a fun place to visit, given its reputation as the archetypal gritty northern English city. The current writer remembers being driven through Leeds in the early 1970s and seeing row upon row of depressing “back-to-back” slum housing and empty, decaying factories and warehouses. However, Leeds has undergone a huge transformation in recent years, as have many other UK cities, and a few days spent here will not go unrewarded.

The prosperity and growth of Leeds were built on the wool trade, with many of its factories producing woollen cloth from fleeces produced on the nearby Yorkshire hills. The wealth of Victorian Leeds is evident from the splendid edifice of Leeds Town Hall, with its massive clock tower soaring skywards (to 225 feet) as a bold statement of civic pride. The Town Hall is today part of Leeds’s rebirth as a cultural centre, being used for music concerts including the three-yearly Leeds International Piano Competition.

Not far from the Town Hall, along The Headrow, is the City Art Gallery, which houses one of the best collections of 20^th century and contemporary art outside London, and next door to it is the Henry Moore Institute which concentrates on modern sculpture. Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth were both students at Leeds College of Art, but a better place to see works by both sculptors is the Yorkshire Sculpture Park a few miles down the M1 motorway near Wakefield.

Leeds is home to the Royal Armouries museum, which is the United Kingdom’s national collection of historic arms, armour and artillery, comprising some 70,000 pieces in total. There is always something interesting going on, whether it is a demonstration of sword techniques or a chance to have a go at firing a crossbow.

The Royal Armouries museum is at Clarence Dock, on the canalised River Aire that connects with the Leeds to Liverpool canal. The whole area has changed over the years from an industrial environment to a thriving waterside lined with new housing and entertainment and catering ventures.

Brewery Wharf, on the site of the former Tetley’s Brewery, has plenty of bars and restaurants. Granary Wharf, near the railway station, is a particularly lively venue, with specialist shops “underneath the arches” of the railway and markets and street entertainers at weekends. These and other waterside venues play host to the annual Leeds Waterfront Festival in June, featuring events such as dragon boat racing, music and dance.

The Thackray Museum is next door to St James’s Hospital, about two miles north-east of the city centre, and is devoted to the history of medicine. The displays have been designed with the whole family in mind and, although somewhat gruesome at times, they provide an enjoyable learning experience with plenty of interactive exhibits on all aspects of health and the human body.

Leeds Industrial Museum, two miles to the west of the city centre, is housed in Armley Mills, once the world’s largest woollen mill. Features include a 1904 spinning mule, a 1920s cinema and working locomotives.

A little further west a very different experience is provided by the impressive ruins of Kirkstall Abbey, a Cistercian foundation that fell victim to the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 1530s. The gatehouse of the abbey houses the Abbey House Museum which is devoted to Victorian Leeds.

Visitors will enjoy shopping in the many small and independent shops with which the city abounds. In particular, the city is renowned for the pedestrian arcades off Briggate, which runs between The Headrow and the River Aire. These were built in Victorian times and feature mosaic floors and wrought iron architecture that are worth seeing even if you have no interest in the shops!

A very different shopping experience is provided at Kirkgate Market, which is the largest market in the north of England, covered by a spectacular Edwardian iron and glass structure. The domed Corn Exchange is another example of Victorian architecture and civic pride; it now houses many boutiques and jewellery shops (among others) and also offers several options for a snack or a larger meal.

Leeds is a fine choice for its nightlife, with a wealth of bars, restaurants and clubs. The Grand Theatre and Opera House, on New Briggate, is home to Opera North, one of Europe’s premier opera companies. The City Varieties theatre presents old-time Victorian music hall (among other events) in an authentic setting.

Leeds is an excellent centre for several other attractions in the area. Mention must be made of Harewood House, seven miles to the north, which was designed in part by Robert Adam with grounds by Capability Brown and furniture by Thomas Chippendale. Temple Newsam, four miles east of the city, is a Tudor/Jacobean mansion that is filled with treasures including silverware, ceramics, and one of the best art collections in the north of England. It is surrounded by 1500 acres of parkland and there is also a rare breeds farm on the estate.

Ten miles south is the National Coal Mining Museum, which features a 90-minute underground mine tour.

You also need to get out of town to experience the best open spaces around Leeds. Pride of place must go to Roundhay Park, with 700 acres of parkland, gardens, woods and lakes. There is abundant wildlife to be seen and sports facilities include tennis courts, a skateboard park and a golf course. A more recent addition is Tropical World, which boasts the largest collection of tropical plants in Britain, apart from Kew Gardens in London. The Butterfly House is a particular attraction as are the various houses devoted to specific tropical environments.

Other parks within easy reach include Golden Acre Park (next to Breary Marsh Nature Reserve), which is six miles north-east of central Leeds, and Middleton Park, four miles to the south, with ancient oak woodland and a preserved heritage steam railway.

Leeds may not come to mind as a first choice tourist destination, but perhaps it should!

© John Welford