'''Leeds''' [http://www.leedsliveitloveit.com], the largest city in the county of Yorkshire, in West Yorkshire is famed for its excellent shopping, vibrant nightlife, thriving universities and sports. But in addition to these, Leeds is an extremely attractive city with wonderful Georgian, Victorian, 20th and 21st century architecture. There are also plenty of fantastic museums, cafes, restaurants and theatres to visit, not to mention easy access to the beautiful Yorkshire Dales and Yorkshire Moors.

Understand

Leeds (derived from the Celtic area '''Leodis''') was voted '''UK's favourite city''' in Conde 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, Leeds 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). Leeds Bridge was the location of the world's first moving images, filmed in 1888 by Frenchman Louis le Prince (who later disappeared in mysterious circumstances), and Leeds was the first city in the world to have a modern traffic light system, the first of which were situated at the junction of Park Row and Bond Street. Leeds was granted city status in 1893.

By the twentieth 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 90s, the city was truly on the move. The most recent Census (2001) shows Leeds with a population of just over 715,000.

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. Today it is one of the most multicultural cities in the country, with people of many different origins almost totally in harmony.

Districts

  • Central Leeds
  • * Civic quarter - north of the railway station, focussed on Millennium Square. Many museums and galleries can be found in this area as well as two major educational institutions.
  • * Central shopping district - north and north east of the railway station
  • * Exchange quarter - east of the railway station, centred on the Corn Exchange. Home to many quirky independents, bars and cafes.
  • * Gay Village - east of the railway station around Lower Briggate
  • * Financial district - north west of the railway station. The attractive Georgian Park Square is at the centre
  • * Riverside - south of the railway station. The converted granaries are now home to shops and restaurants, while new developments bring upmarket shopping to Leeds. The Royal Armouries museum can be found at Clarence Dock.
  • * Holbeck - south of the railway station. Once the industrial heart of Leeds, this district has been regenerated into a creative industries quarter with trendy bars spilling into cosy public spaces.
  • Headingley - the lively student and sports district
  • Chapel Allerton - trendy north Leeds area bursting with al fresco bars and restaurants
  • Roundhay - 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.
  • There are various places of interest, shops, restaurants, historic sites, etc outside of the city centre and the above districts. These are listed geographically in the following guides: North East Leeds, North West Leeds, West Leeds, South Leeds and East Leeds.

    Get in

    By plane

  • '''Leeds-Bradford International Airport''' [http://www.lbia.co.uk]. Leeds is very accessible by air. 10 miles north-west of the city centre. Budget airline Jet2 [http://www.jet2.com] offer a wide range of flights to and from Leeds, its main base. It is possible to fly direct from London (Gatwick) and Amsterdam amongst a wide range of other destinations. Direct flights to and from New York are being test-marketed this winter (2008) by Jet2. There is a regular bus service (the 757) into the city (journey time 40 minutes) and cabs are plentiful.
  • '''Manchester Airport''' [http://www.manchesterairport.co.uk]. If you are coming from other continents then this is the nearest intercontinental airport. Come to Leeds by rail (24 hours a day service ? hourly, at night every 2-3hr, journey time 1? hrs).
  • By train

    The busy, modern railway station [http://www.nationalrail.co.uk] (occasionally called Leeds City Station), one of the biggest in the country with regular trains to a huge range of destinations all over the UK, is in the heart of the centre just off City Square.

  • '''National Express''' [http:///www.nationalexpresseastcoast.com] - serve London (Kings Cross) (2-2.5hr).
  • '''First TransPennine Express''' [http://www.tpexpress.co.uk] - serve Dewsbury, Huddersfield (30min), Stalybridge, Manchester (1hr), Hull, Manchester Airport (see above), Liverpool, York (20-30min), Scarborough (90min) and Newcastle (90min).
  • '''Northern Rail''' [http://www.northernrail.co.uk] - serve Bradford, the scenic Settle-Carlisle route and intermediate stations to Manchester.
  • By car

    Leeds is possible 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. The M62 trans-Pennine motorway, which runs from the outskirts of Liverpool to a few miles from Hull, passes about 3 miles to the south of Leeds. The M621 motorway loop just to the south of the city centre, and connects with the M1 and M62. The Scott Hall Road scheme features a park and ride site to the north of Leeds, opened in the 1990s and caters for 157 cars. 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 [http://www.parkandride.net/leeds/leeds_frameset.shtml]. WhizzGo, a national car 'club' (i.e. car hire organisation which charges a __50 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. [http://www.whizzgo.co.uk]

    By coach

  • '''Megabus''' [http://www.megabus.com] - to/from London.
  • '''National Express''' [http://www.nationalexpress.com] - to/from London and other cities and towns.
  • '''Yorkshire Coastliner''' (bus) [http://www.coastliner.co.uk] - to/from York and the beautiful Yorkshire coast.
  • By boat

    The ferry can be caught from mainland Europe; Zeebrugge, Belgium or Rotterdam, Holland to Kingston Upon Hull, which is approximately an hour from Leeds by car/train.

    Get around

    On foot

    If you're just visiting the city centre, you might as well walk, as much of it is surprisingly compact. To orientate yourself, free maps [http://www.leedsliveitloveit.co.uk/] (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 Leeds is fairly easy. However, Leeds' central area is fairly compact with most of the major attractions and shops within walking distance of one another. There is also the FreeCityBus operational during the day, which you can hop on/off for free as it loops the outer city centre (the main centre is pedestrianised) - see below.

    Leeds walking directions can be planned online with the walkit.com walking route planner [http://www.walkit.com/leeds/].

    By bus

    '''Metro''' [http://www.wymetro.com/] (West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority) provides bus and train information on its website, and offers the innovative My Next Bus service of real-time bus information by text message or online. This real-time information is also displayed in certain bus shelters. '''First''' [http://www.firstgroup.com] runs most of the bus services within Leeds, and if travelling by bus, the best option is to buy a, "day rider," for __3.70/__2.70 (M-F before 9:30AM/other times), which allows unlimited on First Bus within West Yorkshire all day. Public transport isn't bad - most major bus routes within the city are every 10min or so. Useful bus routes for visitors include:

  • '''FreeCityBus''' [http://www.wymetro.com/BusTravel/FCB.htm] - loops around much of the city center every 6-7 minutes during the day.
  • '''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 ftr''' [http://www.goftr.com/leeds] - Whinmoor - Seacroft Shopping Centre - St James's University Hospital - City Centre - West Leeds - Pudsey (Watch out for ultra-modern purple and mauve bendy-buses.)
  • '''12''' & '''13/13A''' - Middleton (south Leeds - City Centre - Harehills - Oakwood - '''Roundhay Park''' (12)/Gledhow (13/13A)
  • '''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
  • '''37/37A''' - City Centre - East Leeds
  • '''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)
  • '''51/51A''' Morley (south of Leeds) - City Centre - Meanwood - Moor Allerton Shopping Centre
  • '''56''' - Whinmoor - East Leeds - City Centre - Tinshill (north west Leeds)
  • '''71''' - City Centre - Scott Hall Road - Park & Ride - Alwoodley (Primley Park)
  • '''72 ''' Leeds Bus Station - Leeds Headrow - Armley - Bramley - Stanningley - Thornbury - Bradford
  • '''73 ''' Leeds Bus Station - Leeds Train Station - Armley - Bramley - Stanningley - Pudsey
  • '''95''' & '''96''' - City Centre - Universities - Headingley - Otley Road - Lawnswood - Bodington Hall (95) or Cookridge (96)
  • '''97''' - City Centre - Headingley - West Park - Horsforth - Rawdon - Yeadon - Guiseley
  • '''757''' - City Centre - Kirkstall - Horsforth - Rawdon - '''Airport''' (- Otley)
  • By taxi

    Taxis can be expensive, but the black and white ones are licensed and safer than private hire cabs. The black and white taxis can be flagged down but others can't, you ought to phone first.

    There is a very cheap taxi company called Amber (advanced booking only, tel: 0113.2311366) - you can get around the city centre for about 3-7GBP.

    By rail

    There is a limited suburban train service which serves some tourist destinations such as Headingley Stadium, but plans are underway for a radical overhaul of the city's transport system since the proposed tram system had its funding withdrawn by the government.

    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 for a short break or a longer stay. As well as the main sights, museums, galleries, shops, 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. There is generally something going on! A great public space home to some gorgeous civic architecture, concerts, exhibitions, ice rinks, Christmas markets...

  • St Anne's Cathedral. ookridge Street. ttp://www.dioceseofleeds.org.uk/cathedral. Small, but an extremely interesting example of an Arts and Crafts, 19th Century Catholic Cathedral - unique within the UK.

  • St John's Church. ew Briggate. 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.

  • Town Hall. he Headrow. ttp://www.leeds.gov.uk/page.aspx?egmsIdentifier=2169f317-85c5-4f5e-a945-7edd9a2c1a55. 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 [http://www.leedsconcertseason.com]. The recently restored interior is stunning.

  • Leeds Art Gallery and The Henry Moore Institute. he Headrow. 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, and it's free!

  • Oxford Place Chapel. xford Place. Lovely 19th Century, red-brick baroque church.

  • Victoria Quarter including County Arcade. riggate. ttp://www.vqleeds.com. When the Victorian civic authorities sought to improve the sights and foul smells of Briggate and the city centre, they decided to demolish some of the city's dirtiest yards, alleyways, shambles and lanes and in there place build covered shopping arcades filled with fine establishments. These were to cater for the refined tastes of the growing moneyed classes of Leeds. This rebuilding continued into Edwardian times and the legacy of which are some of Europe's finest, most elegant shopping locations. Even today these arcades are home to some of the most exclusive designer shops that Great Britain can offer (Vivienne Westwood, Hugo Boss, Luis Vuitton and Harvey Nichols to name but a few).

  • Kirkgate Market. icar Lane. ttp://www.leedsmarket.com. 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'.

  • Corn Exchange. all Lane. ttp://www.cornx.net. Shopping in surroundings to rival any of Leeds' fine arcades. Located 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.)

  • Parish Church. irkgate. ttp://www.leedsparishchurch.org.uk. 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.

  • Holy Trinity Church. oar Lane. 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 after undergoing restoration in 2006/7 will continue to do so.

  • Park Square. A lovely Georgian square reminiscent of Dublin, and is often an overlooked haven of tranquility in the city centre.

  • Clarence Dock. iver area. ttp://www.clarencedock.com. This interesting development of cafes, restaurants, shops and apartments will be completed during 2008. Home to Royal Armouries Museum. N.B. cafes/restaurants/shops currently not open.

  • The Royal Armouries Museum. rmouries Drive, river area. larence Dock. ttp://www.royalarmouries.org. National museum of all things deadly, from swords and guns to armoury and pikes, now famous for its regular live jousting. Contains rare armour belonging to King Henry VIII and a diverse arsenal from the Royal collection, sourced from a-far a field as China, India and America. Features rare experimental pistols, and weaponry from many of the world's conflicts.

  • Salem Chapel. ridge End. Interesting and unique Unitarian chapel. Also the place where Leeds United football club was founded, replacing the old bankrupt Leeds City football club.

  • Leeds Christmas Illuminations. eeds Lights. ttp://www.leeds.gov.uk. The UK's biggest display, are an annual display from Nov-Jan comprising both big show lights and the subtle and beautiful across the city, and are even longer than the legendary
  • Bradford''', [http://www.visitbradford.com] - including ''National Media Museum'' (''formerly the National Museum of Film and Photography''), [http://www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk].
  • '''Ilkley''' - attractive spa town is easily accessible by bus or train and lies on the edge of the Dales, with the beautiful Ilkley Moor above the town, incorporating the (climbable with equipment) Cow and Calf rock formations. The town itself is a small, genteel and attractive place with an outdoor lido (pool) popular in the summer months; ''Bronte Country'' [http://www.visitbrontecountry.com/] and ''Haworth''.
  • '''Saltaire''', Bradford, [http://www.saltsmill.org.uk]. UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  • '''Yorkshire Sculpture Park''', [http://www.ysp.co.uk].
  • '''Harrogate'''. A lovely, affluent spa town with a range of upmarket and independent shops and restaurants in its elegant Victorian town centre ringed by lovely parks (including the lush and extensive Valley Gardens). Picturesque ''Knaresborough'' is a small medieval market town dramatically located on the side of a gorge dropping to the river Nidd. A castle, viaduct, cobbled streets, centuries-old buildings and thriving market only add to the charm. It is pleasantly under-visited by tourists and is easily reachable on the train from Leeds.
  • '''Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal''', [http://www.fountainsabbey.org.uk]. UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  • '''Yorkshire Dales National Park'''. ''Skipton'', with its huge historic ''castle'', bustling market and pretty, historic town centre, is another attractive day tripping destination on the edge of the Dales. ''Bolton Abbey'' occupies a captivating location by a river at the foot of the Dales hills, just outside Skipton, and is a great base for walks in the hills. Other popular spots easily accessible include ''Ingleborough'', ''Pen y Ghent'', ''Settle'', ''Grassington'' and ''Beamsley Beacon''. See also: North York Moors National Park.
  • '''Hebden Bridge'''. An attractive little town in a wooded valley amid the Pennine Moors. It is famed for its left-wing bohemian flavour and plethora of independent shops and cafes - no chain stores here!
  • '''York''', [http://www.visityork.org]. The historic capital of Yorkshire is well worth a trip, being less than half an hour away.
  • '''South Yorkshire''' - including ''Sheffield'', [http://www.sheffield.gov.uk/out--about/tourist-information]; and ''National Coal Mining Museum [http://www.ncm.org.uk]''.
  • '''Halifax''', ''Eureka! The Museum For Children [http://www.eureka.org.uk]''
  • '''Huddersfield'''.
  • '''Manchester''', Leed's great rival, in the North of England, is well worth a visit and under an hour away by car, train or coach [http://www.skiddle.com/cities/manchester/].