Top 10 To Do in Leeds City Centre
Visiting Leeds City Centre and looking for suggestions to help you quickly appreciate this fabulous city?
Here is the Geography Juice Top 10 To Do to recognise the city’s heritage and see Leeds at its best!
1. Cross Leeds Bridge
Leeds Bridge is one of the major factors behind the site and development of the city, and a good starting point. The current bridge is from 1873. Before that, there was a medieval bridge built of stone, and before that a ford.
It’s quiet with traffic now, but not so long ago it was the major route north and south through the city.
Look towards Leeds Minster, past the old waterside buildings and imagine when the river used to be very busy with trade.
Amazingly, Louis Le Prince filmed the world’s first moving pictures in Leeds in 1888, and included traffic running over Leeds Bridge.
2. Take a water taxi ride
The River Aire played a significant part in the growth of Leeds. Its role increased further when the first stages of the Leeds Liverpool Canal opened in the 1770s. The river became surrounded by warehouses holding goods coming in and going out, and some of them remain today.
The best way to appreciate this is from the river, and luckily Leeds has two fabulous Dutch water taxis called Twee & Drie!
To catch a ride, head to where the River Aire and Leeds Liverpool Canal meet, south of Leeds City railway station. Or hop on at Leeds Dock by the side of the Royal Armouries.
You will see a different side of Leeds as you pass along the river and under three impressive Victorian road bridges. It’s absolutely brilliant fun and a must-do!
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3. Visit Leeds Minster
So where did Leeds begin and when? Well, Leeds Minster was built in 1841, but there has been a church on the same site for over 1,000 years. This is the birthplace of Leeds, the site of the original settlement.
The Minster stands proudly at the eastern end of Kirkgate, one of the oldest streets in the city. At the time of construction, it was the largest new church erected in England since St Paul’s Cathedral in London. The rebuilding of the church was led by the energetic vicar, Dr W. F. Hook, widely seen as the country’s greatest parish priest of the nineteenth century. You can see his tomb in the north-east corner of the Minster, to the left of the high altar. Dr Hook was a major influence on both religion and education in the city.
Have an amble around inside the Minster and look out for the Leeds cross, a collection of fragments of a tenth-century stone sculpture.
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4. Shop at the Corn Exchange
Maybe you would like a little retail therapy whilst you are exploring Leeds’ heritage? And where better than the Corn Exchange? This is a building that is beautiful both inside and out!
It was designed by Victorian architect Cuthbert Brodrick and completed in 1863. Take a look up at the building’s incredible domed roof. Have a stroll around and take in its charm.
It was once a place where people traded corn kernels. Today, it is a home for a collection of creative, independently minded shops. Try to catch an event during your visit. They are hosted throughout the year.
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5. Have a coffee in the Tiled Café
Leeds is rich in buildings with tiles and architectural ceramics. It was the home of the famous Burmantofts Pottery where high quality tiles were made as well as fine terracotta and faience for the decoration of buildings. As you move around the city centre you should spot many examples.
One place to and enjoy this quintessential aspect of the city is in the tiled café at Leeds Art Gallery. In fact, it is in the wonderful Leeds Central Library - definitely worth an explore. But, in any case, have a coffee and a sit down and gaze up at that stunning ceiling. Amazingly, it was covered over for 50 years until being revealed again in 1999. It was finally restored in 2007.
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6. Have a pint at The Tetley
Leeds has a long history of beer brewing and drinking. Tetley's was one of Leeds' oldest brewing companies, and the brewery was synonymous with the city for over 200 years. At one time, it was the largest producer of cask beer in the world!
The brewery closed in 2011 and much of it was demolished in 2012, but The Tetley, the Art Deco style former headquarters of Joshua Tetley & Son, remains. After first reinventing itself as a contemporary art gallery, it is now embarking on a new journey with Kirkstall Brewery at the helm.
Take the opportunity to enjoy food and drink at this important historic site. Have a look at the brewing memorabilia on the walls inside The Tetley pub. The area surrounding The Tetley is undergoing a massive transformation as Aire Park develops. Have a roam around and take note of the splendid Salem Chapel with its links to Leeds United.
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7. Stroll down the Arcades
The elegant, ornate covered Victorian shopping arcades are one of the city’s major attractions. Head to the Victoria Quarter, Grand Arcade, Queens Arcade and the earliest of them all, Thornton’s Arcade. There’s also the Central Arcade and the city’s newest shopping arcade, Victoria Gate, home to the North’s flagship John Lewis store.
The neat and pretty covered shopping malls are beautiful to look at. Walk along the elegant walkways; admire the shopfronts; wonder at the mosaic floors, ornate wrought iron detailing and shimmering stained-glass roofs. There is an exciting mix of independents and major brands. Check out Harvey Nichols, Jo Malone and The Ivy. Take time to visit the fantastic range of smaller retailers and purveyors such as Olive & Rye, Santiago Bar and Masato Jones.
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8. Take a Potts clocks tour
Once you are aware of it, you can’t fail to notice Potts clocks as you ramble around Leeds city centre. In fact, as you travel around the north of England and even further afield, you might find yourself asking, “Is that a Potts clock?!”
Potts were a major UK turret clock manufacturer based in Leeds. They installed hundreds of clocks not only in Leeds, but across Britain and the world. Its founder and driving force was William Potts. He and his sons left a legacy of beautiful public clocks, including, but not limited to the Corn Exchange, the Old Post Office, the Griffin Hotel, Grand Arcade, Thornton’s Arcade, Queens Arcade and the Victoria Quarter.
9. Explore Kirkgate Market
With its sights, smells and sounds, Leeds Kirkgate Market has always been an experience. It is one of the largest indoor markets in Europe, offering fresh food and drink, fashion, jewellery, flowers, hardware and haberdashery. It has been at the heart of the Leeds retail scene since 1857. The traders’ voices might not ring out like they once used to, but you still feel the atmosphere and beauty of this historic space. In 1884, Kirkgate Market was the founding location of Marks & Spencer which opened in Leeds Market as a penny bazaar.
A fire tore through the building in 1975. The ornate 1904 market hall was completely undamaged by the fire and a small part of the 1875 hall survived, however an estimated £7 million worth of damage was done to other halls. It was heartbreaking for the residents of Leeds, who loved their market.
The replacement 1975 Hall has more of an open feel and it is now leading a transition from shopping hub to social destination.
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10. Have lunch at Whitelock’s
Step through unassuming and almost-hidden entrances in Briggate and find yourself at the entrance of Leeds’ hidden gems. The Angel, White Swan, Pack Horse, Ship and the oldest pub in continual use in the city centre, the Turk’s Head, better known as Whitelock’s.
In its early days, the Turk’s Head would have catered for merchants and market traders. The pub was especially busy on Tuesdays and Saturdays when Briggate was thronged with people attending market days. In 1886, the Whitelock family refurbished the pub, establishing the ornate decor still in place today, including the long marble and copper topped bar, tiled front, etched brewery mirrors and cast-iron fireplace. From the mid-1890s the pub became known as Whitelock’s First City Luncheon Bar and the name has stuck. Have lunch or a drink here and you are in touching distance of the city’s past!
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Staying a little longer?
Here are a couple of suggestions if you are staying into the evening in Leeds or even overnight:
Why not take in a show? The City Varieties and The Grand are Leeds’ two heritage theatres with extensive programmes of shows and events. There is also the fantastic Leeds Playhouse and don’t forget the Leeds Arena attracting major stars from around the world.
If you would like something more intimate, we recommend the Domino Club, a fabulous live music venue behind the door in Lord's Barbershop in the Grand Arcade.
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