Clustered with shopping facilities, museums and centuries-old churches, Leeds City Centre lies at the heart of West Yorkshire’s biggest settlement. It can be divided into several quarters, including The Calls, the Cultural Quarter and Holbeck Urban Village, which are bound by the Inner Ring Road and the River Aire.
Things to do in Leeds City Centre
In the heart of Leeds City Centre is Saint Anne’s Cathedral, a Grade II-listed building that was completed in 1904. Constructed from Weldon stone, it features an ornate crucifix sculpture on its western facade and leaded bay windows on the north. A highlight of the interior is the altar reredos designed by Augusts Pugin in 1842. A short walk south-east is the magnificent Leeds Minster, which is dominated by a 42-metre-high clock tower.
Wedged between the Leeds Cathedral and the Town Hall is the Leeds Art Gallery, which houses a nationally important collection of British art. It features paintings by William Holman Hunt and Elizabeth Thompson, as well as sculptures by Barbara Hepworth and Anthony Gormley. Adjacent is the Henry Moore Institute, an important centre for the study of sculpture.
For a retail fix, head to the Victoria Quarter, a network of beautifully restored arcades that are home to upscale fashion brands and independent stores. Chain retailers, restaurants and pop-up eateries cluster in Trinity Leeds, a covered shopping mall named after the adjacent Holy Trinity Church, which dates back to the 1720s.
Getting around Leeds City Centre
Leeds Bradford Airport is around 20 minutes’ drive from Leeds City Centre and has flights to destinations across Europe. Trains connect from cities across the United Kingdom to the Leeds railway station while buses travel throughout the city centre. Many of Leeds City Centre’s attractions can be accessed on foot.