Leeds Things To Do

Architecture
Few cities in England can rival Leeds for architectural interest. Leeds has more listed buildings than York, and boasts innovative contemporary architecture to rival Manchester. A heritage tour of Leeds is no dry academic exercise since the majority of the city’s stunning civic and industrial buildings are now thriving public spaces, shops, cafes, theatres and galleries. Leeds architecture is a fascinating mix: the wonderful Third White Cloth Hall split by the railway, the civic quarter with its magnificent Town Hall, Georgian squares, neo-gothic Kirkgate Parish Church, 19th century baroque Oxford Place Chapel, the art deco Queens Hotel, the Leeds General Infirmary, industrial gems like the Egyptian-style Temple Mill, and modern design in the financial and river districts.

Shopping
Cities like Manchester and Birmingham cannot match Leeds for the way it combines shopping with history and heritage. Shopping in Leeds is a pleasure thanks to its wide variety of attractive locations, beautifully preserved architecture and fabulous buildings like the Victorian Corn exchange. Key areas like Briggate and King Edward Street have wonderful old shop fronts, glorious Victorian buildings and the city’s famous covered Victorian arcades. Shopping city breaks in Leeds offers top designer shops, big stores, small independent retailers and one of Europe’s best traditional markets. The main shopping area is compact and frequently pedestrianised.

Museums & Galleries
The Royal Armouries Museum is a fantastic collection of arms and armour entertainingly displayed. The museum stages mock battles, falconry, jousting and horse shows. The Thackeray Museum is an award-winning medical museum focusing on the Victorian era. Leeds Art Gallery contains Pre-Raphaelite paintings and an outstanding collection of 20th century art. Exceptional sculpture at the Henry Moore Institute. The City Leeds City Museum opens in 2008.

Entertainment & Nightlife
Once again, a major attraction of nightlife in Leeds is the way dining, drinking and entertainment combine with the city’s architectural heritage: buzzing pubs in the medieval lanes of Briggate, classy restaurants in the financial and river districts, or the acclaimed Carriageworks Theatre in the restored Electric Press. Leeds nightlife is rightly legendary but far more varied than the popular image. Yes there are lively pubs and discos, but you will also find trendy cocktail bars, stylish restaurants, cool DJ bars, live music, comedy clubs, a gay scene and the Hyde Park Picture House art cinema. Leeds has excellent theatres like the West Yorkshire Playhouse and the Grand Theatre, and is home to the innovative Opera North and the Northern Ballet Theatre.

Excursions
Buses and trains from the centre of Leeds connect with a series of attractions in the Leeds area that again focus on history and architecture: the Tudor mansion of Temple Newsam with its 18th century landscaped gardens, the Harewood House estate, 12th century Kirkstall Abbey, the Armley Mills industrial museum, Thwaite Mills, and the lovely Church of St John the Baptist in the suburb of Adel. Children will enjoy the indoor Tropical World in Roundhay, the Middleton Railway, and the excitement of the Xscape entertainment centre at Castleford.

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