Leeds

[gabrielconroy]

For work reasons I will be visiting Leeds in a week or so, staying overnight.

However, me and my girlfriend stopped and thought to ourselves: "what if we don't leave immediately and instead go and walk around some nearby fields?"

Where is good to walk around both in and near Leeds?

In the city itself I'm expecting an old-town centre with some pleasant buildings, maybe a small park, with a few decent pubs, surrounded by a ring of deepest poverty and urban desolation, roaming gangs of feral mutant children and the threat of wanton violence hanging in the air.

The surrounding countryside, I've heard, is "quite nice". Those Dales people talk about. What is the best way to experience this side of things?

[chrispmartha]

'Wuite nice' is down playing it. Yorkshire countryside is stunning.

Leeds itself is a great city, not too sprawling so you can easily walk round it, some great bars snd boozers, for parks there's Rounday Park or Hyde Park which is near Headingley, which is full of students who always seem to be in fancy dress doing the 'Otley Run'.

[oggyraiding]

It's a 30 minute train ride to Ilkley which has lovely moorlands, and I think Skipton doesn't take that much longer to get to and that's considered the Gateway to the Dales.

[hamfist]

Ilkley and its moor are really close by. Train to Ilkley and a hike up to the rocks.

Brimham rocks is an NT site with mad rock formations you can climb on.

Just outside the city is Temple Newsam, a country park with sprawling grounds to explore.

A bit further afield, but Ingleton in the dales, for a hike up Ingleborough - on a clear day you can see the Irish Sea from the top, but watch the weather - that hill fucks you up if it's bad.

Up to near Guisborough (a bit further afield again) for a hike up Roseberry topping which looks like a proper mini mountain, then down to Whitby for a bit of seaside after that.

[shoulders]

Leeds

Do/See

- Royal Armouries is free and spectacular in some ways. The dock around there and Leeds/Liverpool canal is nice. The riverside has gradually opened up for walks but it is still a bit in/out and disjointed.

- We have just opened up a new museum in the old grain/wagon hoist on Wellington street, an area that is otherwise highly modernised.

- For classical sights the Victoria Quarter, Corn Exchange and Kirkgate Market are stunning. The market has a street food section for less expensive options.

- Check out the tiled hall in the Library also and see if the private Leeds lending library is doing an open day around the date of your visit, also well worth a look.

- Still haven't been to Thackeray Medical Museum but I have heard good things.

Pubs/Bars

Whitelocks Ale House - don't be deterred if it's busy, it is excellent and worth hanging around for a seat, turnover is pretty fast.

Duck & Drake - evening rock music pub but lots of real ales and a nice garden out the back if sunny

Angel - it is a Sam Smiths I'm afraid, but the situation down on of Brigate's alleys and the interior is sort of like a timewarp. It has also hosted several CaB meets so it is our turf.

Brownhill & Co - best beers in the centre of town, a continental café style setup.

Blind Tyger if you're more of a cocktail person this remains my favourite, although some ok ones have sprung up

Pretentious nouveau riche spots that nevertheless do good food

- Greedy Pig
- Empire Café

Indian food

- Bundobust v/vg small plates in a casual colourful bar. Very popular and great beer selection

- Tharavadu - South Indian place that's never personally hit the spot for me but must be said everyone else seems to disagree

- Manjits Kitchen - nice grub done very very nice people

[Kankurette]

Seconding Bundobust, it's Indian street food and it's fit. Can also recommend Brudenell Social Club for gigs, although it is a bugger to get to if you can't drive.

[Pavlov`s Dog`s Dad`s Dead]

Ilkley and its moor are really close by. Train to Ilkley and a hike up to the rocks.

+1 for Ilkley Moor. It's absolutely riddled with Neolithic rock art, as well, if you're into that kind of thing.

Otley Chevin is a bit closer to Leeds, and easier going than the Moor - there are some steep climbs to get up onto the top. There's an under-rated circular walk around Eccup reservoir and the southern end of the Harewood estate. Speaking of which, if you want to see flocks of Red Kites, there's a nice 4 mile circular walk round that estate, which is free to use.

Farther afield, Farndale is meant to be nice when the daffs are out, although Pavlov's Pup and I were a bit underwhelmed. Fountains Abbey is a nice combo of gothix ruins and eighteenth century stately home grounds, but is NT and therefore pricy. Scar House reservoir is in idyllic surrounds, and the remnants of the labourers' village are evocative.

[shoulders]

Back with more in a little while

[sevendaughters]

get the train to Hebden Bridge. Walk up to Heptonstall. Look at Sylvia Plath's grave. Walk to Hardcastle Crags. Have a cup of tea in the NT bit. Walk back a different way. It's very nice.

[Stoneage Dinosaurs]

Would also fourth ilkleh moor, great scenery but also quite compact (relative to the Pennines and that at least) and with loads of little paths so you can wander freely without having to plan a route too much

[king_tubby]

Kirkstall Abbey, Otley Chevin, Rawdon Billings, all good, you could walk from the centre along the canal towpath to the Abbey in 45 minutes or so.

If you can, get out to Burley for Manjit's Kitchen before they sadly close, and a pint at the Cardigan/Dave's Pies and Ales after. Or before.

[shoulders]

Just be careful as once you're up on the top of Ikley moor it can be difficult to get your bearings in some conditions. There's a plateau and loads of paths leading in various spidery directions. Would recommend an offline map like OSM you can download onto your phone, with that and GPS you should be able to navigate fine.

On the plus side, from Ben Rhydding station you can be up on the top in 10-15 mins walk if you're relatively fit.

Cow & Calf more than a bit oversubscribed these days, but it is one of the best Yorkshire views.

[Underturd]

I don't think I've ever been to Leeds which you're all probably really interested to know.

[Poobum]

I like the Royal Armouries, last time I went they had a Sassanid war elephant.

[king_tubby]

If you do go to the Armouries get the water taxi from behind the railway station.

[shoulders]

Brudenell Social Club has kind of lost its way since around 2018. They still had all the working man's club interior but that's been stripped out and it more closely resembles a Spoons in the main room. There are no longer student friendly prices for the basics, and since the second room opened, I dunno, it just feels that bit more corporate than it used to. Other small details like microwave Pieminster pies for silly money add to that impression. It's still good, but it used to be great.

Fuck knows where you even go as a student now, hardly any businesses aim at the "skint as fuck" end of that market.

God, they've even spoiled Hyde Park Picture House haven't they?

[king_tubby]

I second what shoulders says about the Brude. I still love it as a venue but the new room lacks atmosphere and I think putting on so many 'tribute' bands is kind of counter to the early DIY roots, but that's my prejudices from being there since the late 90s.

Also Nathan has been crap about #metoo stuff, defending MJ from Hookworms and continuing associating with a promoter who has been accused of assaults by multiple women.

[Lemming]

A good thing about Leeds is that our high street is less fucked than many other cities. Whether or not there's anything of interest there is another matter, but you can at least go window shopping.

Royal Armouries is probably the most genuinely interesting thing to check out. Thackray is unique but I've rarely been back after being severely traumatised by the waxwork Victorian street bit as a kid - I think they also had a diagram of a man's cock being sliced open, so that might be a pull factor for you. If you do go up to Roundhay Park then you can also go to Canal Gardens (you might see a duck) and then into Tropical World (been at least a decade since I went, but there are big tropical fish there who you can watch swim around, and a mini-waterfall that smells of piss).

There's also Golden Acre Park, it's like a feral version of Roundhay Park. Temple Newsam has horses who will come and sneeze on you - you also get to look around an old manor house and its grounds but the horses are the real draw. Seconding what other people have said about Ilkley Moor, if you go up there at night you can get a moderately impressive panoramic view of the city all lit up.

[shoulders]

Our? Can I come round to yours and play on some 1990s DOS games please

[idunnosomename]

Kirkstall Abbey

also preferable to Rievaulx/Fountains because as well as not being in the middle of nowhere with no phone signal, its owned by the council and although not free anymore its like £5.80 or something. Less than half the price of English Heritage or the NT. I know ruins need maintaining but their key property vistor fees are stupidly high to push people into membership.

Also it's basically all still there, just missing the roofs really

[shoulders]

also preferable to Rievaulx/Fountains because as well as not being in the middle of nowhere with no phone signal, its owned by the council and although not free anymore its like £5.80 or something. Less than half the price of English Heritage or the NT. I know ruins need maintaining but their key property vistor fees are stupidly high to push people into membership.

Also it's basically all still there, just missing the roofs really

It is my local park and it's absolutely free, I went there for a discreet piss on the way back from Kirkstall Forge station last month.

It is very very impressive and surprising it's so close to a city centre but receives none of the attention Bolton and Fountains receive. Fountains is astonishing in scale though and the gardens in spring are uncommonly tended and beautiful for a Northern attraction. Must be the £20 entry fee funding it. Totally not worth that money btw.

[idunnosomename]

When I was last there pre-covid there was a consultation running about entry charging and it does look now you have to pay to get inside?

https://museumsandgalleries.leeds.gov.uk/kirkstall-abbey/visit-kirkstall-abbey/

You can walk round the park around it freely obvs. And its free for a year after paying, no complaints there.

[Lemming]

Our? Can I come round to yours and play on some 1990s DOS games please

You are genuinely welcome as long as you can handle the fact that my house, like the Tropical World waterfall, smells of piss.

[touchingcloth]

[king_tubby]

It's a fiver for non-Leeds residents to get in to the Abbey itself, the park is still free.

Tropical World is a dump, sadly. Very tired and run down.

Lotherton Hall and Harewood House are not that far away and worth visiting.

[shoulders]

I've not noticed any ticketing on weekdays.

Anyway, if that is true, the Abbey is pretty much all visible up close for free. What you can see without paying is already what there is, no point dropping an extra fiver for some scant/barely present information boards and stooping under some old niche.

[king_tubby]

It is true!

https://museumsandgalleries.leeds.gov.uk/kirkstall-abbey/visit-kirkstall-abbey/

£5.80, it's gone up since last year.

[Lemming]

Tropical World is a dump, sadly. Very tired and run down.

That's a shame, it was pretty good in its heyday. Did notice last time I went that the lemurs they used to have in the outdoor bit near the canal were completely absent, and in their place lay mere empty cages.

If it's gone to shit it does at least act as a comedy thing - all those road signs going into Leeds directing newly-arrived visitors to the mysterious "Tropical World" with the attractive butterfly symbol, and then when you follow the trail and finally arrive, it's just shit.

[Stoneage Dinosaurs]

I've not noticed any ticketing on weekdays.

Anyway, if that is true, the Abbey is pretty much all visible up close for free. What you can see without paying is already what there is, no point dropping an extra fiver for some scant/barely present information boards and stooping under some old niche.

Apart from making it less likely that the place will crumble to shit in several decades I suppose

[paddy72]

Leeds

Pubs/Bars

Whitelocks Ale House - don't be deterred if it's busy, it is excellent and worth hanging around for a seat, turnover is pretty fast.

Duck & Drake - evening rock music pub but lots of real ales and a nice garden out the back if sunny

Angel - it is a Sam Smiths I'm afraid, but the situation down on of Brigate's alleys and the interior is sort of like a timewarp. It has also hosted several CaB meets so it is our turf.

Seconded – Whitelocks is the best pub in the city centre.

Wonder if our paths have crossed in the Duck & Drake – have gigged in there innumerable times!

Angel used to be our work local some years ago. Didn't realise it has hosted Cab meets, though. I'd be up for that if it happens again.

Can also recommend Brudenell Social Club for gigs, although it is a bugger to get to if you can't drive.

Is it? Not lived in Leeds for a few years now, but used to be a bus from the city centre that dropped you very close by.