Sights in Leeds
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A
Royal Armouries
Leeds' most interesting museum is undoubtedly the Royal Armouries , originally built to house the armour and weapons from the Tower of London but subsequently expanded to cover 3000 years' worth of fighting and self-defence. It all sounds a bit macho, but the exhibits are as varied as they are fascinating: films, live-action demonstrations and hands-on technology can awaken interests you never thought you had, from jousting to Indian elephant armour. We dare you not to learn something.
The displays are modern and effective, and deserve credit for demonstrating the realities of war.
There are numerous demonstrations throughout the day (pick up a schedule when you arrive), …
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B
City Art Gallery
If you're starved of a bit of high culture, get yourself to the City Art Gallery as soon as possible. It is packed with a host of 19th- and 20th-century British heavyweights - Turner, Constable, Stanley Spencer, Wyndham Lewis et al - along with more recent arrivals like Antony Gormley, sculptor of the Angel of the North. Pride of place, however, goes to the outstanding genius of Henry Moore (1898-1986), who graduated from the Leeds School of Art.
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C
Leeds Industrial Museum
One of the world's largest 'dark satanic mills' has been transformed into the Leeds Industrial Museum so as to tell the story of Leeds' equally glorious and ignominious industrial past. The city literally became rich off the sheep's back but at some cost: working conditions were, well, Dickensian. Apart from the usual selection of working machinery, there's a particularly informative display on how cloth is actually made. Take bus 14, 66 or 67.
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D
Abbey House Museum
Across the road from Kirkstall Abbey, the Abbey House Museum, once the Great Gate House to the abbey, contains meticulously reconstructed shops and houses recalling Victorian Leeds. The impressive attention to detail is lit by flickering candlelike light. Children will enjoy it, and there are displays giving an interesting insight into monastic life as well.
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E
St John's Church
Tucked away off northern Briggate in the centre of Leeds is St John's Church, a one-off masterpiece of 17th-century design. It's decked out with elaborate box-pews and a spectacular screen resplendent with huge carvings of the arms of James I and of Charles I as Prince of Wales.
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F
Kirkstall Abbey
Leeds' most impressive medieval structure is the ruined but still beautiful Kirkstall Abbey, founded in 1152 by Cistercian monks from Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire. The dark, severe Norman ruins make for an evocative wander.
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G
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Headingley has been hosting cricket matches since 1890. It is still used for test matches and is the home ground of the Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Take bus 74 or 75 from Infirmary St.
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H
Henry Moore Institute
The Henry Moore Institute , in a converted Victorian warehouse, showcases the work of 20th-century sculptors from all over but not, despite the name, work by Moore.
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I
Leeds United Football Club
Loyal fans pack the Elland Rd stadium. Take bus 51, 52 or 54 from Kirkgate Market.
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