| by: Maria Williams
Leeds, England
Introduction
Leeds is a city in the metropolitan borough of the
City of Leeds in West Yorkshire in the north of England. The River Aire
runs through the city. In 1974 the former county borough of Leeds was
merged with the towns of Wetherby, Morley, Otley, Pudsey, and other
surrounding areas to form a metropolitan borough - the city status of
the county borough being conferred on the new metropolitan borough.
History
Leeds was an agricultural market town in the
middle ages, and received its first charter in 1207. In the Tudor period
Leeds was mainly a merchant town manufacturing woollen cloths and
trading with Europe via the Humber estuary. At one point nearly half of
England's total export passed through Leeds. The introduction of the
Leeds and Leeds Canal in 1816 and the railway in 1848 catalysed the
city's industrial growth.
Places of interest
Despite its longtime reputation as a grimy
northern industrial city, Leeds will surprise anyone with the beauty and
diversity of its City Centre. Some places to visit except the museums
and art galleries:
* Quarry Hill Cultural Quarter
* Millennium Square
* Leeds Arena
* Harewood / Eastgate shopping quarters (commence Late 2006/Early 2007)
* Trinity Shopping Quarter (commence 2006)
* South Leeds Sport Centre
Museums and Art Galleries
Leeds has a large number of museums, being the
home of the Royal Armouries Museum (opened in 1996), the Leeds City
Museum which is dedicated to the history of Yorkshire, the Thackray's
Medical Museum and the Leeds City Art Gallery. Leeds also boasts the
Grand Theatre, the City Varieties music hall and the West Yorkshire
Playhouse.
Shopping
While many cities can boast innumerable shopping
centres and high street stores Leeds trademark is sophistication. It has
become the shopping Mecca of the North - Gucci, Prada, D&G grace Harvey
Nic's rails. Excepts these, street shops like - Karen Millen, Jigsaw,
Kookai, Lambretta, Vivienne Westwood, Joseph, Ted Baker and Mexx jostle,
are waiting there to feast the shopping spree in Leeds. The heart of
Leeds is The Headrow, the city's main thoroughfare. Along its length one
can find some of the city's main attractions; the City Museum, City Art
Gallery and The Henry Moore Institute which has the finest collection of
20th Century paintings outside of the Tate. Off The Headrow is Briggate
with its ornate shopping centres. The Grand Theatre and Opera House are
located here also. Major shows visit regularly so it's worth checking
out. Over all the City Center hosts a shopping center that fulfills
every need of shopping.
Food & Drink
The city of Leeds offers an extensive choice of
places to eat, drink and relax. Award winning restaurants, Victorian
pubs, fashionable wine bars and venues offering every type of ethnic
cuisine ensure that all tastes. Leeds has a very large student
population and boasts a large number of bars and nightclubs, as well as
venues for live bands such as the Cockpit, The New Roscoe, and Joseph's
Well, which combine to generate a vibrant nightlife. For American style
restaurants TGI Fridays, Wellington Street, Frankie and Benny's,
Cardigan Fields, Kirkstall, Hard Rock Café are few to name. Babylon, 10
York Place, Browns, The Headrow, The Calls Grill are some of European
style restaurants. From Chinese, French to Italian all type of food is
available in Leeds. Listed are some famous among them: Cafe Rouge,
Canton Flavour, Lucky Dragon, Little Tokyo, Cactus Lounge etc.
Education
Leeds has two universities, the University of
Leeds, and Leeds Metropolitan University as well as various higher
education colleges, including Trinity & All Saints' College accredited
by the University of Leeds, giving it one of the largest student
populations in the country. The main campuses of both universities are
near the city centre, as is that of the similarly revered College of
Art. Leeds Grammar School, situated on the outskirts of the city at
Alwoodley Gates and dating back to 1552, is the principal public school
for boys. Leeds Girls' High School is an independent, selective school
for girls, located in Headingley and consistently ranked highly in
education tables.
Sports
The town has a strong sporting heritage, with the
Yorkshire County Cricket Club, Leeds Rhinos (the Rugby League team) and
Leeds Tykes (the Rugby Union team) playing at Headingley Stadium, and
Leeds United F.C. playing at Elland Road.
Tours and Sightseeing
An organized tour in Leeds consists of local
sightseeing including museums and playhouses, shopping and Leeds Castle.
Hotels and accommodations
The dedicated team at SleepUK can assist and
advise on all your Leeds hotel requirements. Online and offline access
to Leeds' accommodation network ensures travelers will be offered the
best possible deal at the time of your visit whether you require luxury
hotels in Leeds or budget hotels in Leeds.
Hotels in all categories are opening in Leeds all
the time, reflecting the city's renewed prosperity and popularity as a
short-break destination.
Whether you are visiting Leeds on vacation or just
on business trip, you may need to find accommodation in Leeds and stay
overnight in a B&B or a budget or luxury hotel.
Leeds has lots of budget and luxury hotels. They
are very much convenient, friendly and comfortable. Among them - Ascot
Grange Hotel Malmaison Hotel Leeds Express by Holiday Inn Leeds City
Centre The Butlers Hotel Haley's Hotel and Restaurant Weetwood Hall
Conference Centre & Hotel 42 The Calls Harewood Arms Quebecs, The Leeds
Boutique Hotel Golden Lion Hotel Comfort Inn Leeds Merrion Hotel Harman
Suites 1 & 2, Self-Catering Apartments, Nea Ramada Leeds Parkway Hotel
Village Hotel & Leisure Club Leeds are few to name about.
Transport
It has in the past been served well by its canal,
and today by its rail network at Leeds station, from where Metro Trains
operate to all parts of West Yorkshire and other operators to the rest
of the country. Leeds Station is the busiest in the UK, outside London.
With two motorway (the A1 (M), M1 and M62) intersecting at Leeds, it is
the principal northern hub of the motorway network. Leeds Bradford
International Airport is located to the north-west of the city and has
scheduled flights to destinations within the U.K and Europe.
Biography
Name: Maria Williams
Website: http://www.sleepuk.com
Biography: Maria writes for Sleep UK - providers of discounted uk hotels |
