Tear out page here then fold along the dotted lines TURN OVER FOR MAP AND NUMBER LOCATIONS
Fold 1Weekend
in Leeds
Yorkshire’s largest city flaunts its 19th-century
industrial heritage with independent shops,
craft breweries and innovative food haunts in
old mills, Victorian arcades and cobbled alleys.The Victorian Corn
Exchange in LeedsFriday
Saturday Sunday
MORNING SHOP
Start at the Corn Exchange,
which has been transformed into
a home for boutiques, cafés and
a great souvenir shop. Browse
the Victorian arcades running
east to west from Vicar Lane to
Albion Street. For lunch, head to
Kirkgate Market, one of the
largest covered markets in
Europe, which has a new fresh
food hall and street food cafés
(leedscornexchange.co.uk, leeds.
gov.uk/leedsmarkets).ROYAL ARMOURIES
The UK’s national military
museum is Leeds’ top attraction
and a national institution. More
than 8,500 artefacts are housed
here, including suits of armour,
swords, scabbards and rifles
that date to the 16th century. If
you’ve ever wondered what
17th-century Mughal elephant
chainmail looks like, you’ll find
out here. Take bus 70 from
Leeds Train Station (US$0.60);
you can catch a free water taxi
back from Leeds Dock to
Granary Wharf (royalarmouries.
org; Armouries Drive; free).Three floors in a restyled 1930s
block, two bars stocked with craft
beer, two canteens, one huge roof
terrace and a cosy performance
space make Belgrave Music Hall a
veritable warren of fun. Belgrave
is beloved by locals as a
one-stop-shop for a good night
out in Leeds. Check the website
to book tickets for a catalogue of
diverse acts from burlesque to
comedy, folk music to hip-hop
(belgravemusichall.com; 1–1a
Cross Belgrave Street; tickets
from US$10).THE TETLEY
It’s worth the trip alone to
glimpse the 1930s Tetley’s
brewery offices this contemporary
art gallery is housed in. Have a
nosy at the old boardroom and
the wrought-iron lift shaft, then
browse the modern art exhibitions
displayed in the wood-panelled
offices. After, grab a pint at the
bar, then head out to the patio
for a game of boules (thetetley.
org; Hunslet Rd; 11am–6pm
Mon–Sat, to 4pm Sun; free).SHEARS YARD
One of a handful of restaurants
striving to put seasonal and local
food at the heart of their menus,
Shears Yard is a sophisticated
bar-and-kitchen with a laid-back
atmosphere. The food offers
inventive twists on honest
Northern grub, and dishes are
light, meaning you’ll still feel like
hitting Leeds’ excellent pubs
after eating here (shearsyard.
com; lunch Sat–Sun & dinner
Tue–Sat; 11–15 Wharf St; mains
from US$15).ANGELICA
The city centre is spread out
before you from the rooftop of
Angelica, a swish cocktail bar
with floor-to-ceiling windows
and a leafy terrace. It’s part of
the Trinity Shopping Centre, but
has much more style than its
entranceway suggests. End
Friday sipping one of its
cocktails, such as a wasabi
martini (angelica-restaurant.
com; 70 Boar Lane; 10am–12am
Mon–Thu, to 2am Fri & Sat, to
11pm Sun; cocktails from US$9).NORTHERN MONK
Leeds’ favourite microbrewery
is housed in a Grade II-listed
building and takes inspiration
from monastic brewing. It’s also
one of the city’s best brunch
spots. Try avocado and black
pudding crumpets, followed by
a couple of beer tasters, and
breathe in the hoppy aromas
from the on-site brewing tanks
(northernmonkbrewco.com;
closed Mon; dishes from
US$4.50).
LEEDS INDUSTRIAL
MUSEUM
Once the world’s largest textile
mill, the building has been made
into a museum that tells the
story of Leeds’ industrial past,
both glorious and ignominious.
As well as a selection of mill
machinery, there’s a particularly
informative display about how
cloth is made. The museum is
near the city centre; take bus 15
(US$1.25) from the station
(leeds.gov.uk/armleymills; Canal
Road; closed Mon; US$5).KIRKSTALL ABBEY
This riverside abbey was built in
the 12th century by Cistercian
monks. Its archways, chambers
and crumbling walls,
surrounded by 24 hectares of
parkland, are now popular with
walkers, families and picnickers.
Across the road, there’s an
Abbey Museum about Victorian
life in Leeds. To get here, take
buses 33, 33a or 757 from
the city centre towards Kirkstall
Road (leeds.gov.uk/museums
andgalleries; closed Mon; free).Horse armour in the Oriental
Gallery at the Royal ArmouriesThe Art Deco Tetley’s Brewery
was reopened as a gallery in 2013Brunch is served in The Refectory
at the Northern Monk breweryFold 2MINI GUIDE
BELGRAVE MUSIC HALL
& CANTEEN