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Leeds Travel Guide

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Leeds is one of the largest cities in the North of England. Said to be the new 'Capital of Yorkshire', it has some of the best shopping and nightlife in the country. Leeds also boasts many museums, historic architecture, and friendly locals. It's a great base to explore the Yorkshire Dales, York, the North Yorkshire Moors and the Yorkshire Coast. Leeds is one of the greenest cities in Europe. Leeds is also home to the World famous Headingley Carnegie Stadium and Leeds United's Elland Road.

Leeds has won a host of awards in recent years including The UK's Favourite City (Conde Nast Traveller magazine Reader's Awards), Britain's Best City for Business (OMIS Research), Visitor City of the Year (The Good Britain Guide), Best Place in Britain to Live (Urban Behaviours survey, Henley Management College), Best UK University Destination (The Independent), and Number One City for Clubbing (Mixmag Music Dance Awards).

Contents

Districts

Understand

Leeds is a proud, friendly, prosperous, vibrant city. It's people are warm, hard working, friendly and straight talking and this has always been the way. Prosperity and vibrancy haven't always been linked with Leeds though.

Leeds started as an industrial town and has grown and developed into a service based city economy with a smart city centre.

Get in

By Air

Leeds is very accessible by air, served by its own airport - shared with Bradford. It is also possible to fly direct to Leeds from Heathrow and Amsterdam. Leeds is a member airport of Star Alliance. If travelling from Asia and the United States Manchester International Airport provides the most direct access to Leeds, with direct trains running through the night (although they're only every couple of hours or so after 1am).

By Rail

Leeds has a busy, modern train station, with regular trains to various destinations all over the country. For example, GNER & Midland Mainlineserve London (2-2.5 hrs), Trans-Pennine Express serve Manchester(about an hour and a bit), York (20-30 mins), Newcastle (about 90 mins). Virgin Cross Country also serve the south-west and Scotland. You can check timetables here.

By Coach

Express coaches also serve Leeds' modern bus station - for cheap ones from Newcastle and London check Megabus.com or for slightly more expensive ones from a far wider variety of destinations, try National Express. The Yorkshire Coastliner bus connects Leeds with York and the beautiful Yorkshire coast, though the train is faster and more comfortable.

By Ferry

Ferries can be caught from Rotterdam and Zeebrugge to Kingston Upon Hull, which is only an hour away by train, car or by coach.

Get around

Getting around Leeds is fairly easy. The bus service isn't bad - most major routes within the city are every 10 minutes or so. If you're just visiting the city centre, you might as well walk, as it's suprisingly compact. Taxis can be expensive, but the black and white ones are licensed and safer than private hire cabs. There is a FreeCityBus that loops the city centre every 10 minutes during the day.

See

Do

Theatre & Comedy

  • Grand Theatre for major shows
  • West Yorkshire Playhouse is more adventerous and often performs world premiers and encourages local talent - worth a visit. Lucky travellers may arrive in time for one of the themed, almost festival-style programmes.
  • Leeds City Varieties is World famous and has even had Charlie Chaplin tread the boards. Home to a mix of shows.
  • The Carriage Works is home to amatuer dramatics in the city
  • Jongleurs is a National Chain of comedy club based in the city

Museums

Parks & Countryside

Nightlife

Leeds was voted Best UK City for Clubbing

Cinema

Leeds holds 2 annual film festivals: Leeds Film Festival and Leeds Young People's Film Festival

City Centre

Headingley

  • Cottage Road Cinema in the centre of Headingley. Plenty to do afterwards as well.
  • Hyde Park Picture House is another excellent independent cinema in the midst of the hot-bed of student habitation in the town. The cinema shows a mix of modern mainstream and art-cinema films as well as a formidable selection of classics. Lucky cinephiles may even experience the latter in conjunction with an introductory speech prepared for local film students. It retains many of its original features including gas lighting.

Out of Town

Live Music

Leeds is home to many live performances from big-name stars, mostly at outdoor concerts. If you are unable to get tickets direct from the sites below, try Ticket Master.

  • Leeds Festival - 3 days of live bands and stars from around the world play to 80,000 people every summer bank holiday weekend. Northern twin of the famous Reading festival. You can camp over, or attend just one day. 2006 includes Pearl Jam, Franz Ferdinand and Kaiser Chiefs.
  • Millennium Square in the city centre regularly has gigs with a 7,000 capacity. Including in 2006 Kaiser Chiefs, Snow Patrol & Hard-Fi.
  • The Cockpit nightclub and the Leeds Met Uni are great for live bands indoors.
  • Leeds is planning to build an indoor concert arena upto 14,000 seats.
  • Roundhay Park is host to occasional huge one off concerts including Robbie Williams 90,000 capacity concerts in 2006. Previous artists include Madonna, U2, The Rolling Stones and 'The King Of Pop' Micheal Jackson.
  • Harewood House holds concerts throughout the summer, including - in 2006 - The Who, and Westlife.


  • Temple Newsam[3], (4 miles from Leeds City Centre off A63, 2 miles from M1 junction 46). Temple Newsam is 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.

Sport

  • Football (August–May): Leeds United FC - currently in the Championship (the second tier of English League football), but traditionally one of the larger English clubs.
  • Cricket (April–September): Yorkshire County Cricket Club, based at Headingley (which is also a Test Match venue).

Buy

Leeds has a number of options for shopping including Victorian-era shopping arcades, offering anything from the reasonably priced to the expensive items [4]. If you're after cheap stuff - and cheap food - the city markets (Kirkgate Market) are the place to go [5]. Fascinsting even just for the atmosphere of a traditional British market. City centre shops number over 1,000, made up of modern shopping centres and busy streets. City Centre Shopping Centres include:

Out of town there is also the White Rose Shopping Centre with free parking. Birstall Retail Park has free parking, cinema, retaurants and shops. Junction 32 in Castleford is home to a host of designer outlet clearance shops.

Eat

  • L'Oranaise [6], (Hyde Park). This Algerian restaurant offers authentic atmosphere and eating—even a Sheesha pipe for after the meal. The food is amongst the best this Wikitraveller has tasted in Leeds. Teas and coffees can be taken upstairs amongst the low tables and scatter cushions.
  • The Clock Cafe (Hyde Park). This wikitraveller has found it difficult to fault this restaurant despite several visits. Anything on the menu is delicious and the service and beers (no weak fizzy lager here!) are outstanding, ranging from traditional English to renowned Czech produce. The setup is basic with benches and tables but the atmosphere is pitched just right for small groups and couples—recommended. If there were popularity contests for bar staff, this place would win.
  • Anthonys [7] (City Centre). If you're willing to spend a little bit more for that special meal then this is the place to go but book ahead as this is the most popular restaurant in Leeds—highly recommended.
  • Akbars (City Centre). Award-winning Indian food served in cosmopolitan surrendings—and at reasonable prices too!
  • Bibis [8] (City Centre). Wonderful Italian food served in a fantastic Art-Deco restaurant—packed with local regulars who know a good thing when they eat it!
  • Salvos [9] (Headingley). Salvos Italian resturant and salumeria/cafe two doors down. Both fantastic simple food, great atmosphere.
  • Truffles [10] (Kippax). A ten-minute journey out of town to this award winning restaurant, twice voted best restaurant in Leeds. Book now, waiting list of about 4 months. Serves the finest Traditional English as well as imaginative dishes to die for! A welcoming warm atmosphere with lashings of luxury!

Drink

Leeds' two large universities means there is a lot of nightlife including loads of clubs. Leeds was voted Number one city for clubbing. It is estimated there are over 100 city centre bars and pubs and around 20 nightclubs. Leeds City Guide is a good source of information. As well as the city centre the suburbs of Headingley and Chapel Allerton are popular for bars and restaurants.

Leeds CAMRA offer free pub guides from their website[11]

  • Whitelocks, (off Briggate). A great old pub, one of the most impressive in Leeds.
  • Victoria Family and Commercial Hotel, (behind the town hall). A refurbished Victorian gem.
  • The Palace, (down by the bus station).
  • The Scarbrough Hotel, (near the train station). Leeds CAMRA Pub of the Year 2003/4[12]
  • The Duck and Drake, (by the markets). A 'locals' pub
  • North Bar, (24 New Briggate). Great beer selection!
  • Ha! Ha! Bar & Canteen, (next to millenium square near the hands sculpture). Gay-friendly, trendy - a place to meet your date.
  • Fab Cafe, (Just below the metropolitan university) Great place to visit if you like your music away from the mainstream, and they actually have what seems to be an original 'Star Wars: The Trilogy' arcade cabinet!
  • '"The Adelphi'", ("Dock Street, follow Briggate down and over bridge, on the left"). Great selection of British beers, interesting decorative mix of Victorian pub architecture and 70s retro decor. A gem! Gay friendly
  • "'Reliance'", ("North Street"). Laid back, loungy bar.

Sleep

Budget

Etap Accor

Holiday Express Inn

Ibis

Mid range

Leeds Bewley's Hotel [13].

Leeds Jury's Inn [14].

Headingley Lodge

Splurge

42 The Calls [15].

Park Plaza [16].

Queens Hotel [17].

Radisson SAS [18].

Quebecs [19]

Get out Travel Guide

The West Yorkshire Environ

Leeds is recognised as the economic heart of West Yorkshire. The region as a whole offers many sites and attraction.

Bronte Country [20].

Eureka - The Museum For Children [21]

National Coal Mining Museum [22].

National Museum of Film and Photography [23].

Salts Mill. Recognised as a World Heritage Site[24].

The Yorkshire Sculpture Park [25].

Fountains Abbey. A UNESCO World Heritage Site [26]


York the historic captial of Yorkshire is well worth a trip, less than half an hour away The traditional seaside towns of Scarborough, Bridlington, Filey and Robin Hood's Bay make up the Yorkshire coast, and are easily accessible by train, bus or road (A64). London is only 2 hours by train and less than an hour by plane.

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