Leeds

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The city of Leeds, with over 750,000 residents, is in the county of West Yorkshire and sits on the River Aire some 200 miles north-west of London.  A major centre of trade, commerce and manufacture since the industrial revolution, it is now also a major legal and financial services hub.

Leeds is a vibrant multicultural city rich in culture and heritage: its famous sons and daughters include writers Arthur Ransome and Alan Bennett, actor Peter O'Toole, sculptress Dame Barbara Hepworth and celebrity chef Marco Pierre White.  It offers unrivalled attractions and experiences - from jousting at the Royal Armouries to the butterflies of Tropical World, the grandeur of Harewood House (home of the Queen's cousin) and the beautiful parkland of Temple Newsam. 

The city is home to both Opera North and the Northern Ballet Theatre as well as the West Yorkshire Playhouse. For sporting enthusiasts there is Leeds Rugby, Yorkshire County Cricket, and Leeds United Football Club. But if you prefer to participate in sport rather than watch, the area offers world-class golf courses, mountain biking, hiking trails, fishing... there's even an indoor climbing centre! There are outstanding collections and exhibits at the city's many galleries and museums, from the Thackray medical museum to the 12th century Kirkstall Abbey. The City Art Gallery is home to works by Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth - both Leeds Metropolitan alumni.  Strolling through the city?  Why not take the Owl Trail?

Leeds is a haven for shoppers with five miles of shopping streets, many of them pedestrianised.  From the elegant Victoria Quarter to the diverse stalls of Kirkgate Market, the city centre caters for every taste and budget.  There is an excellent nightlife, with numerous restaurants and bars in one of the UK's best cities for dining out (Which? Good Food Guide). For maps, weather, visitor information and to follow on what's on in Leeds, visit Leeds Live it Love it.

Close to Leeds .... 

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Leeds is surrounded by places of interest and natural beauty - all within easy reach.

Just 11 miles (18km) away, the former Victorian textile mill and village of Saltaire is very much alive as a UNESCO World Heritage site and its 1853 Gallery houses over 400 works by David Hockney.  The Saltaire Festival, showcasing arts, music, crafts, food and drink, will take place from 8-18 September 2011. 

For literary buffs, Haworth Parsonage, once the home of the Brontë family, is now a museum - and only 25 miles (40km) from Leeds.  The National Media Museum, in nearby Bradford, is free to visit and catalogues the development of film, photography, TV and the web.

The Yorkshire Dales National Park is within 20 miles (32km) of Leeds.  Its scenery is stunning, with leafy dales, craggy moorland and waterfalls, providing a haven for wildlife as well as a scenic environment for hiking and driving.  Call in at a tea room to try Wensleydale cheese and fruit cake!

The ancient city of York with its wonderful Gothic Minster, medieval walls, Jorvik Viking Centre, National Railway Museum and 'Snickleways', is a half-hour train journey from Leeds.  The Visit York website provides details of where to go and what to see.

Harrogate, a spa town where it's still possible to relax in the Victorian Turkish Baths and taste the spa water, is 15 miles (24km) from Leeds.  Close by is the Royal Horticultural Society's magnificent 27-hectare Harlow Carr Gardens.  Harrogate is easily accessible by road and by train.  Visit Harrogate's tourist information website for more information.

For more ideas on places to visit in Yorkshire, visit Welcome to Yorkshire.