Leeds is the largest city in Yorkshire, in the north of England, built on both banks of the River Aire. In the 19th century it was the centre of the wool and ready made clothing trade, and the heavy stone fronts, domed exchange buildings and ornamented arcades of its centre were all paid for with that money. Marks and Spencer began in 1884 as a single stall in Leeds Kirkgate Market, and the spot is marked inside the market today. Modern Leeds is a university and legal city, with students making up roughly a sixth of the population, and it is also the junction for roads into the Yorkshire Dales and the Peak District.
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See flights to Leeds →When to visit Leeds
May to September is the easiest stretch, with daytime temperatures between 17C and 21C and up to 17 hours of daylight in June. Rain is spread evenly through the year, so no month counts as dry and a waterproof layer is worth packing in any season. The Leeds Festival at the end of August is the busiest weekend of the year. November to February is cold and short on light, with daylight down to seven and a half hours in December.
Things to do in Leeds
Leeds Town Hall
Designed by Cuthbert Brodrick, the building was opened by Queen Victoria in 1858 and was taken that day as a declaration of the city's wealth. Its columned front and 69 metre clock tower set the skyline, and the four stone lions at the entrance are the most photographed detail in Leeds. It still serves as a concert hall.
Royal Armouries Museum
Opened at Clarence Dock in 1996, the museum holds the national collection of arms and armour that could not be shown at the Tower of London. Some seventy five thousand objects are spread across five galleries covering tournament armour, East Asian weapons, hunting equipment and the history of war. Entry is free and period combat displays are staged in the courtyard.
Kirkstall Abbey
Founded in 1152, the Cistercian abbey worked until the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539 and stands today as a roofless but upright ruin on the bank of the Aire. The church walls, the base of the tower and the monks' dormitory survive largely intact. Turner painted it several times in the 19th century, and the old gatehouse opposite is now a museum.
Leeds Kirkgate Market
Founded in 1857 and given its iron and glass hall in 1904, the market is among the largest covered markets in Europe. More than eight hundred stalls sell fish, meat, cloth and spices. Michael Marks started Marks and Spencer here in 1884 with a penny stall, and the spot is marked with a plaque in the hall.
The Victoria Quarter arcades
County Arcade, completed in 1900 by the theatre architect Frank Matcham, is the most ornate interior in the city, with mosaic floors, brass railings and a domed ceiling. The coloured glass roof designed by Brian Clarke in 1990 put the adjoining Queen Victoria Street under the largest stained glass canopy in Britain.
Harewood House
The house about 11 kilometres north of the city was built between 1759 and 1771 by John Carr, with interiors by Robert Adam and grounds laid out by Capability Brown. Its rooms hold paintings by Reynolds and Turner alongside Chippendale furniture, and the bird garden in the park keeps a wide collection from penguins to owls.
Flights from Turkey to Leeds
Direct flights to Leeds from Turkey leave from Antalya, operated by SunExpress and Jet2, and take about 4 hours 25 minutes. Frequency rises to eleven a week in summer and falls back in winter. There is no nonstop service from Istanbul: flying Turkish Airlines to Manchester and continuing an hour by road is the practical option. Leeds Bradford Airport is about 11 kilometres northwest of the centre and the A1 airport bus reaches town in 25 minutes.
Leeds FAQ
How many days do you need in Leeds?
Two days cover the centre, the arcades and the Royal Armouries. A third suits Kirkstall Abbey and Harewood House, and adding the Yorkshire Dales or York stretches the trip to four or five days.
How far is the airport from the city centre?
Leeds Bradford Airport is about 11 kilometres from the centre. The A1 airport bus reaches the city centre in 25 minutes and runs through the night, while a taxi takes between 25 and 40 minutes depending on traffic.
Do you need a visa for the United Kingdom?
The United Kingdom is not in the Schengen area and a Turkish passport needs a separate standard visitor visa. The application is made online and followed by a biometrics appointment, and the process can take several weeks in busy periods, so it is worth starting early.
Buy now, pay later flights to Leeds
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