Feature Something For The Weekend
Your guide for weekend activities in and around Leeds
Leeds Art Gallery
It’s easy to slip into the same routine after a hard week at work: pub on Friday night, hungover on Saturday then before you know it, Sunday’s come and gone and its back to work again. Try one of our ideas to spice up your weekend with a little culture or activity, whether you want to stay in Leeds or travel further afield.
In Leeds
Roundhay Park & Tropical World
The park includes Canal gardens, the Monet and Alhambra gardens, the Friends garden, national plant collections and scented gardens for the blind. There are facilities for tennis, bowling, golf, fishing and skateboarding.
Situated next to the park, Tropical World is the perfect place to rid yourself of any winter blues and great for children to learn more about butterflies, fish, small animals and plants. Watching the antics of the meerkats is always a favourite. Admission is free to the park, entry to tropical world is £3 for adults £2 for children and free for under 8s and Leeds cards holders. The number 2 and 12 buses run from the city centre.
Royal Armouries
The museum houses a large part of the national collection of arms and armour, as well as hosting daily historical re-enactments of historical events and, from April, there is live jousting and falconry exhibits. Admission is free but some exhibits are chargeable. The Armouries are walking distance from the city centre.
Leeds Wall
Leeds wall can cater for the complete novice or the more advanced climber. All of the staff are experts so can help with your climbing queries, there is also a shop and a cafe for those who prefer to keep two feet on terra firma. There are also bouldering facilities.
Leeds Art Gallery
The art gallery holds an extensive collection of 20th century British art and also features regular exhibitions, artist’s talks and children’s activities. There are many pieces from local artists, such as Henry Moore, Francis Bacon and Antony Gormley, housed here. Admission is free.
Kirkstall Abbey & Abbey House Museum
Combine seeing the most complete example of a Cistercian abbey in Britain and learn how a 12th century monk lived with learning about a Victorian family in Leeds at the Abbey House museum. The number 50 bus runs from the city centre regularly. Admission is free to the Abbey and £3.50 for Abbey House, £2.50 concessions.
Lotherton Hall
Lotherton Hall is an Edwardian country house set in extensive grounds which include a red deer park and bird garden which is home to many rare and endangered species. There are also nature trails, a cafe and play area - everything you need for an fun family day out. £2.93 adults, £1.46 concessions. Lotherton Hall is located 13 miles north-east of Leeds City Centre.
Leeds City Museum
The museum houses four floors of exhibitions including ‘World View’, ‘Life on Earth’ and ‘Ancient Worlds’. There are also a number of changing temporary exhibitions, interactive displays, a cafe, shop and education facilities. Admission is free.
Temple Newsam
The magnificent Tudor-Jacobean mansion, which houses a vast collection of artwork, sits within 1,500 acres of parkland which includes Europe’s largest working rare breeds farm, with over 400 animals. Throughout the year the estate hosts festivals, funfairs, as well as arranging family activities, guided walks and tours. A joint ticket for the house and farm costs £5.75, £3.50 for concessions. To get there take the number 18 bus and then walk along Temple Newsam road to get to the house.
Pole Position
In this indoor go-karting arena, drive as individuals or enter one of their ironman or team endurance events as a group. The winner with the highest number of laps in the time receives a trophy and a bottle of bubbly. Prices start from £30 for half an hour. A 15 minute walk from the city centre.
Day Trips
Whitby
The pretty seaside town that is dominated by the ruins of St Hilda’s Abbey on the cliff top is well worth a visit. Highlights include fish and chips from the Magpie cafe, exploring the abbey ruins and museum, playing crazy golf on the cliff top, the Dracula experience and sampling the traditionally smoked kippers. Buses and trains run to Whitby from Leeds.
Knaresborough
Attractions in this historic market and spa town include Mother Shipton’s Caves, boating on the river Nidd, pitch and putt golf, looking round the remains of Knaresborough castle and walking along the river. Trains run from Leeds to Knaresborough every half hour.
Saltaire
Originally a purpose built village to house workers for the textile mill, Saltaire is a charming village with many cafes, restaurants and shops. You can get guided walking tours to learn the village’s history and look inside the Mill, which is now home to a number of shops, restaurants, galleries and a Saltaire history exhibition. Admission to the galleries and exhibition is free. Trains take 15 minutes from Leeds and run every half hour.
Haworth and Bronte Country
The village of Haworth in the heart of Bronte Country is where the Bronte sisters wrote most of their famous works. The parsonage where they lived is now a museum, there is also a working steam railway as well as plenty of walks for keen ramblers around the Yorkshire Moors. From Leeds you can take a train and a bus, the journey takes around an hour.
Bolton Abbey
On the banks of the river Wharfe, Bolton Abbey has over 80 miles of paths on 30,000 acres of unspoilt countryside. There is a restaurant and cafe perfect for pit stops between walks and the ruins of the priory itself are worth exploring. Admission is £6 per vehicle and free to those travelling by public transport. Trains run to Skipton and then there is a bus to Bolton Abbey.
Sno!Zone at Xscape Castleford
Sno!Zone provides an authentic skiing/snowboarding experience with its 170m long main slope covered with 1,500 tonnes of fresh snow. They also run a number of events and lessons for adults and children. To use the slopes it is £21 for an adult for an hour, £18 for children. Xscape also houses a number of other activity venues including bowling, aerial assault, rock climbing and laser zone. A dedicated rail service runs to Xscape Castleford.
Yorkshire Sculpture Park
The park contains four indoor galleries and 60 sculptures and projects over 500 acres of 18th century parkland, it prides itself as being an international centre for modern and contemporary art. Admission to the park is free.
Posted on Wednesday 3rd March 2010
Lucy Adlard
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