Mentioned by Tripadvisor's Top Things to Do
Top things to do in York
"One of the most complete medieval abbeys in the UK, Kirkstall Abbey was founded over 800 years ago as a Cistercian Abbey. It’s another great free day out in Leeds with kids, with regular family events and activities during holidays, including trails and art packs. Whenever you visit, you can stroll through the ruined abbey buildings and the lovely parkland on the banks of the river, plus more about the monks who lived here, on display at the visitor centre."
"It’s not just about shops and bars, there’s plenty of beautiful outdoor places in Leeds to photograph. Make sure you take the time to head slightly out of the city centre and visit Kirkstall Abbey to wander around the old ruins and capture amazingly atmospheric photos. Time your visit for a misty day for the best photo opportunities."
"Kirkstall Abbey has a wooly great summer of sheep themed activities in the abbey!. Cistercians loved their sheep and they Kirkstall Abbey will celebrate that fact with a baa-tastic trail. Pick up or download a trail to find the whole flock and discover the different types of sheep that the UK call home."
"Clifford's Tower was once the site of a timber keep built by William the Conqueror. The current incarnation of Clifford's Tower has looked over the city of York since 1245. Part of York Castle, the tower played a role in the Dissolution of the Monasteries and the English Civil War."
"To see a fantastic panorama of York and take some great photos, head to the Clifford’s Tower. The entry price is a bit high for what the place has to order. However, it’s excellent for photos that you’re going to take there."
"You’ll find one of the biggest parks in Europe three miles north of Leeds city centre. Roundhay Park is a beautiful outdoor space that covers a massive 700 acres, with landscaped gardens, rolling parkland and two scenic lakes. It’s a great place to get back to nature, but you’ll also find a few man-made attractions here that are just as worthy of your time – think adventure playgrounds, sports pitches, tennis courts and a skate park."
"Firmly ensconced as the most popular park in Leeds, Roundhay Park is a favourite not just for people in the city but for visitors from across Yorkshire too. Fact fans will no doubt be aware that it's one of the biggest city parks anywhere in Europe, covering 700 acres. It offers something for everyone, too."
"St Mary’s Abbey is a picturesque ruined Benedictine abbey in York, located in York Museum Gardens. Once the richest abbey in the north of England, it now tells the story of York’s influential ecclesiastical past, and its degradation through Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries. The first church on the site of St Mary’s was built in 1055 and dedicated to St Olaf of Norway, and following the Norman conquest was refounded by King William Rufus in 1088 during his visit to York."
"Once one of the richest abbeys in the North of England, St. Mary’s used to rival York Minster in terms of its size and splendor. Nowadays, its extensive and impressive ruins are protected as part of the York Museum Gardens that lie just on the edge of the city center. Founded in 1088, the abbey prospered for centuries until Henry VIII’s edict in 1536 that dissolved and disbanded monasteries, priories and convents."
"The park also serves as a romantic backdrop to St. Mary’s Abbey… or what’s left of it. The monastery was first built in 1088 and was among the wealthiest and most powerful Benedictine monasteries in England. In the 1530s King Henry VIII banned all monasteries in England in 1530s and St. Mary’s gradually fell into the medieval ruins you can see today."
"A maze of bars, shops, and cafés that looks straight out of a Harry Potter film, Sunbridge Wells is unlike anything I have ever seen!. It opened a few weeks before we arrived in Bradford, so not many people knew where it was yet. Luckily, we spotted a group of guys who were heading there and were kind enough to lead the way."
"The tunnels where the leisure and shopping facility is now were a mine in the thirteenth century. The location was also used as prison and during the Second World War was used as an air raid shelter. In the 1960s it was used as a location for dancing."
"The landmark clock is located at the western end of Thornton’s Arcade. It has wooden sculptures of people and a huge bell. The sculptures are colorful, vibrant, and life-size."
"If you enjoy architecture and medieval clocks, as we do, you should definitely take a stroll through one of Leeds' best arcades!"
"The Oakwell Stadium is quite big, some of the equipment is outdated, but the lawn maintenance is still possible. Generally speaking, it is more recommended~ It is very suitable to watch the game and is recommended!"
"If your dog is at the spinning-in-circles level of needing to run like Usain Bolt, then Farnley Hall Park is a perfect dog-friendly spot. It’s also a particularly calm space–which is an ideal mood change when your dog is at the washing machine spin cycle stage of existence (looking at you, every waggler under the age of one!). The space used to be a deer park, though today it’s more accustomed to gatherings of dog owners; here, you’re almost guaranteed to make nice new doggy pals to charge over the grass and into the woodland with."
"This 40-acre former deer park, which is located four miles west of Leeds city centre, has a large open grassland, woodlands, formal gardens and a pond. It's accessed via Hall Lane, Farnley, LS12 5HA."
"Bradford Cathedral, 1 Stott Hill,, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD1 4EH - Visit now. Bradford Cathedral has been a place for Christian workshop since the 8th Century, today it feeds the community artistically and spiritually."
"Trinity Leeds is perfected situated at the heart of Leeds making it extremely convenient for shoppers to commute. The 3-floor structure of this shopping centre features more than 100 shops, restaurants and bars. It is considered as one of the unique shopping centres fees from tax as most of the businesses follow Premier tax or Global blue system."
"Trinity is Leeds’ city centre shopping centre, which was completed in 2013. It contains over 120 outlets, and its design is truly stunning. Housed underneath a huge glass dome which reaches 100 feet above street level, the complex connects what was previously three different run-down shopping streets in Leeds."
"Once known as the hangout for Leeds' goths and emo kids, the Grade I listed Victorian Corn Exchange is now home to a variety of boutiques and independent stores, selling fashion, gifts, Yorkshire produce and more. There are also cafes where you can enjoy and coffee and soak in the impressive architecture, regular craft and gift fairs and the Little Leeds Beer House, a hidden gem for real and craft ale fans looking for something different. Leeds Corn Exchange, Call Lane, Leeds, LS1 7BR. Open Monday-Wednesday 10am-6pm, Friday-Saturday 10am-6pm and Sundays 10.30am-4.30pm."
"One of only three such structures surviving in the UK, the Grade I listed Leeds Corn Exchange is considered one of England's finest Victorian-era buildings. Designed by Cuthbert Brodrick and completed in 1864, the building is now home to an eclectic variety of independent boutique shops, galleries, and cafés. Location: Call Lane, Leeds"
"Leeds Corn Exchange is one of the city’s most recognisable and most impressive Victorian buildings. This Grade I building houses a wide range of independent retailers and tasty eateries with an iconic domed roof."
"The Merrion Centre is a city centre stalwart that remains one of the most interesting and diverse places to go shopping in Leeds. It’s home to Jumbo Records, perfect for all your musical needs, while footie fans can make a pilgrimage to the official Leeds United and Leeds Rhinos stores. It’s a great mix of popular names – Morrisons, 3, Wilko, Iceland – and indie brands such as Chilli Shop and The Bookish Type."
"It is one of the well-known shopping centres in Leeds that has gone through many transformations over the period. You will find a wide range of stores inside with some big household names such as Home Bargains, Morrisons, Superdrug etc. My Thai, Smoke Barbecue and Bulgogi Grill are also some of the famous brands which have made strong influence there."
"A small but established venue for showcasing and selling contemporary design, this independent gallery celebrates the UK’s national treasures in the arts and crafts sphere. The gallery prides itself on its diverse and extensive list of artists, exhibiting up to 300 at one time. The gallery runs an impressive and refreshing exhibition programme which is continually adapted to fit in new artists who are constantly jumping on board."
"Founded in 1982, Craft Center & Design Gallery offers exciting insight into the fascinating world of contemporary art. The artwork presented here for sale includes paintings, ceramics, pottery, textiles, jewelry, prints and other hand-made crafts. Twice a year there are major exhibition events organized here to promote emerging British designers and celebrate works of well-established artists."
"Focused on modern and contemporary art, there’s still plenty which makes the Leeds Art Gallery family-friendly – this summer, for example, there were creative activity bags to take away, ideal for inspiring your kids. Another of the string of free places to visit in Leeds with kids, you’ll find exhibits to get everyone thinking – a Damien Hirst sculpture, as well as works by Anthony Gormley, between bright contemporary art and Victorian paintings. There are also regular temporary exhibitions, and don’t miss Artspace, a creative space in the heart of the gallery, which is designed to be family-friendly."