Touristy Things To Do In Leeds
Overview of Leeds
Leeds is a prominent and populous city in England’s Yorkshire. The city is known for it’s wide parks, vintage shops, numerous dining venues and the Royal Armouries, which house the national collection of England’s arms and artilleries. There are many unique and touristy things to do in Leeds. Leeds is central in Yorkshire and very easy to reach from London by train, which takes roughly two hours.
Touristy Things To Do In Leeds
The Royal Armouries Museum
The Royal Armouries Museum is a national museum of Leeds which holds England’s expansive national collection of arms and armour. The intricate museum includes numerous masterworks including Henry’s VIII’s foot combat armor, a full suite of elephant armor, some truly strange helmets, a prop ‘pulse rifle’ from the 1986 Aliens film and much more. The museum is one of the most popular touristy things to do in Leeds. Entry to the museum is free.
The Horned Helmet of Henry VIII
Located in the Royal Armouries Museum, this is a strange, slightly-grotesque mask-helmet with deadened eyes and spiraling horns. The helm was commissioned by Holy Roman Emperor Maximillian I who gifted the headgear to Henry VIII in 1514. The helmet (technically called an armet, since it protects the entire skull) was likely used for ceremonial purposes, as it’s design is unfit for actual battle.
Roundhay Park
Roundhay Park is one of the largest and most expansive parks in Europe, covering over 700 acres of public lands, lakes, woodlands, gardens and attractions. The park is stuffed with interesting features, including a Blind Scented Floral Garden, Leeds National Plant Collections, the Canal Gardens, the famed Tropical World Butterfly Gardens and several other buildings and garden venues.
Temple Newsam
Temple Newsam is a beautiful Tudor-Jacobean house with vast, opulent grounds landscaped into gardens and designed hedges. The grounds are free to walk around, though parking near the Temple has a charge.
Kirkstall Abbey
The ruins of Kirkstall Abbey are some of the most iconic and beautiful structures standing in Leeds. The decayed Cistercian monastery is set in a public park on the north bank of the River Aire. Visitors can visit the ruins, which also host special events such as projected movies through organizations such as Sneaky Experience.
Harewood House
The Harwood House is the centerpiece of a huge estate covering 1,000 acres of beautiful land. The estate is home to a vast art collection, numerous gardens, and remains one of the few Treasure Houses of England. It costs £15 per person to enter.
Trinity Leeds and ‘Equus Altus’
This is an enormous shopping and leisure center located in the central portion of Leeds. The massive shopping area was named for the 18th-century Holy Trinity Church nearby. The venue is especially famous for it’s shimmering steel sculpture of a balanced pack horse. The name of the sculpture is called “Equus Altus” which translated to “High Horse” as the sculpture is perched high in the atrium shopping center.
Leeds Memorial ‘Winifred’
Located in a small courtyard between York Place and Park Place, there stands a large mural depicting various elements of Leeds’ heritage. The mural, known as ‘Winifred’ displays an armored elephant, the white rose of Yorkshire and artistic swirls.
St Aidan’s Nature Reserve (RSPB St Aidan’s)
This nature reserve contains a series of rambling nature trails throughout the park, following an opencast coal mining area which was flooded and repurposed in 1988, following a riverbank collapse. Despite supporting native wildlife, the reserve still has features of its coal mining roots. The . The Bucyrus Erie BE 1150 Walking Dragline Excavator, or Oddball is a huge piece of digging machinery. It can be visited throughout the year while visiting the Reserve.
Murgatroyds Fish and Chips Restaurant
Fish and chips are a core piece of English culinary culture and Murgatroyds is an excellent location to try. The large fish-and-chips restaurant is a bright diner-style venue found in central Leeds.
The Leeds Kirkgate Market
The Kirkgate Market is a large market complex in the city center of Leeds. The venue has the honor of being the largest covered market in Europe, earning it a Grade I listed building status. The market hosts over 800 stalls providing a unique shopping experience.
The Leeds Victoria Quarter
This portion of Leeds is best defined by its ornate Victorian-Era shopping arcades. The Quarter is created from an arcaded complex of restored 19th century and contemporary shopping arcades.
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