Heritage and Gardens

Indulgence

Leeds is a city built for indulgence. Whether you like shopping til you drop, popping champagne corks, club hopping like a VIP or enjoying opera from a theatre box, Leeds will never disappoint.

Our city is fabulously rich in culture and the arts, with more venues, festivals and acts appearing all the time. You're never far from breathtaking music, dance or theatre, so, prepare to be entertained!

Sports

Whether you're here to support one of our local teams or visit one of the many international matches held in Leeds throughout the year, you'll love how easy it is to get close to the action.

Outdoors

The beauty of a destination like Leeds is it's fantastic location, with a seemingly endless list of historic towns, villages and natural beauty spots right on it's doorstep.

Family Fun

Leeds is perfect for families with children of all ages. It's compact city centre is easy on little legs and puts an end to the dreaded 'are we nearly there yet' cries.

Delicious

Foodies will relish a trip to Leeds, with it's fantastic array of restaurants, food and drink retailers and delicious Yorkshire produce.

As a forward looking city, Leeds knows how to do history in style. From our Medieval roots to our more recent industrial history, the past really comes alive in our popular historic attractions. Just walking around the city itself can be highly rewarding, taking in our spectacular Victorian architecture in their original splendour.

Historical Houses

Leeds is home to three fabulous examples of English historical houses set in stunning estates. Harewood House has recently celebrated it's 250th anniversary since the laying of the foundation stone. It boasts spectacular Capability Brown landscaped grounds and an exemplary showcase of Chippendale furniture. The Tudor-Jacobean estate of Temple Newsam was once owned by Henry VIII and is also home to Europe's largest Rare Breeds farm. Lotherton Hall is a beautiful Edwardian Estate, home to a red deer park, a bird garden and nature trails as well as the beautifully formal country home.

A Knights tale

History is brought to life inside and outside the Royal Armouries Museum through displays of jousting, falconry and hand-to-hand combat by highly trained interpreters in full replica costume. This thrilling museum displays over 8000 objects in the five galleries - War, Tournament, Oriental, Self-Defence and Hunting. Among the many treasures are Henry VIII's tournament armour and the world record-breaking elephant armour.

Industrial Heritage

Leeds Industrial Museum at Armley Mills was formerly the world's largest woollen mill. These Mills were some of the biggest and most profitable in Leeds because of their power. This is the best site in the valley for harnessing the energy of the River Aire. The Leeds Liverpool Canal was the M62 of its day, built to carry goods from Leeds' industrial mills to the new markets in the colonies of America and Africa in 1816. Thwaite Mills Watermill is one of the only fully restored working water-powered mills in Yorkshire. The museum contains exhibits dating from the 18th and 19th centuries that show the history of textiles, clothing and engine and locomotive manufacture in the area. The museum also illustrates the history of cinema projections, including the first moving pictures taken in Leeds, as well as 1920s silent movies.

Worshiping Leeds architecture

One of Britain's best preserved abbeys, Kirkstall Abbey was founded in 1152 by a party of Cistercian monks from Fountains Abbey. Set in wonderful parkland along the banks of the River Aire, Kirkstall Abbey boasts historic architecture amid a haven of wildlife and greenery, just 3.5 miles from the City centre. St John The Evangelist Church is the oldest church in Leeds. It was built in 1632-34, a turbulent time in England when very few new churches were constructed. John Harrison, a wealthy local wool merchant and notable benefactor bore the entire expense of the church. The glory of St John's lies in its Jacobean fittings, particularly the superb carved wooden screen. The first Leeds Parish Church on the Kirkgate site was probably built in the early 7th century when Leeds was no more than a village. The Church you see today, with over 1600 seats, was consecrated on 2nd September 1841 to serve the great City of which it is the historic spiritual centre. Dr Hook re-founded the world famous Choir, and this is the only parish church in the country with daily choral services.

Great gardens

There are 10 open gardens within a 10 mile radius of Leeds city centre. One of these is York Gate Garden, a 1-acre masterpiece and outstanding example of 20th Century English garden design, noted for its striking architectural features and exquisite vistas. Another must-see is Mill Farm Nursery and Tea Gardens. The business in South Milford, has received an Award of Excellence in The Tea Guild's Top Tea Place 2009 awards after competing against tea rooms and country and city hotels around Britain. Here you can enjoy a few tranquil hours picking your selection of plants then break off to enjoy an Afternoon Tea. Leeds City Council enjoyed a silver lining at the 2009 RHS Chelsea Flower Show by claiming a Silver Gilt Flora award at the world-famous event. The HESCO Garden, essentially a Yorkshire 'rain garden', designed and created by the council's Parks and Countryside Service, greatly impressed the judging panel who gave it an award which matched Leeds' best-ever at Chelsea.