Hidden Gems Leeds

8/19/2019 Hidden Gems Leeds

1/7

Sheffield

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2/7

Explo re f o r less

t h e r e are gu i d e s , a n d

ther

e a

r e

r o u gh gu i d e s . . . fun this way

In front of you is one of the most interesting, inspiring

and downright insightful destination guides there is.

It’s part of our Rough Guide series, and it will help you

swap the beaten track for an unbelievable trip.

You’ll discover hidden gems and best-kept secrets. It’s

like having your own local tour guide, right there in your

pocket. It even comes with your very own map. Get out

there, explore and share your findings on Facebook or

Twitter on your glorious return.

There’s a full set of these Rough Guides, covering

lots of amazing places across the north of England

and Scotland. Book your next adventures online at

tpexpress.co.uk and collect the whole set.

d o w n l o a d o u r f r e e t r a i n t i m e s a p p

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3/7

5A ROUGH GUIDE4

Yorkshire’s commercial capital, and one of the fastest-growing cities in

the country, Leeds has undergone a radical transformation in recent

years. There’s still a true northern grit to its character but the city is

revelling in its new persona as a booming financial, commercial and

cultural centre. The renowned shops, restaurants, bars and clubs

provide one focus of a visit to contemporary Leeds; couple all that with

an abundance of heritage, architecture, museums and galleries and it’s

easy to see why this is one of northern England’s most inviting cities.

Leeds

The WardrobeSt Peter's Square LS9 8AH Gmap T 0113 383 8800

Wwww.thewardrobe.co.uk HMon–Tues 11am–11pm, Wed 11am–midnight,

Thurs 11am–1am Fri 11am–2am, Sat noon–2am, Sun 5pm–11pm

Change has come quickly to

Quarry Hill. In 1999, when bar/

restaurant/venue The Wardrobe

opened its doors, there wasn’t

much of a cultural scene at all.

Nowadays, the Northern Ballet,

BBC Yorkshire and Leeds Gallery

are all based in the area. So much

has changed that people have

started calling this the city’s

creative quar ter. The fact that

The Wardrobe is st ill going

UpStaged1 White Cloth Hall, Crown Street LS2

7DA Gmap T 0113 243 5855

Wwww.upstagedleeds.co.uk H

Mon–Sat 10.30am–6.30pm,

Sun 11.30am–4.30pm

You won’t come across replicas

or ‘vintage-style’ garments at this

kaleidoscopic, independently run

clothing shop tucked behind the

Corn Exchange. All of the clothes

– and there are items for ladies,

gents and children – are one-off

pieces, so if you decide to buy

something here there’s very little

chance of bumping into someone

wearing the same thing later that

day. The only exception would be

the new Dr Mar tens boots at one

end of the shop.

Surprisingly, given the quality

of some of the stuff, almost

everything is under £100,

including 1950s cocktail dresses

and tailored men’s overcoats. The

owner has also put a lot of effor t

into selecting other bric-a-brac

and ephemera to keep the shop

interesting. There’s an impressive

collection of reconditioned vintage

telephones, gramophones and

1940s radios, plus a couple of

leathery hand-held travel trunks

and a mannequin’s head, posing in

a deerstalker hat. Shopping on a

budget? Ask to have a r ummage

in the ‘dressing-up box’, where

you’ll find scarves, hair accessories

and the odd hat or bag for as

little as £3 a pop.

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=200995833704269317792.0004d6c8fbd3294dc251c&ie=UTF8&ll=53.811295,-1.536627&spn=0.036691,0.111494&t=m&z=14&vpsrc=1&iwloc=0004d6c93a333700a7548http://www.thewardrobe.co.uk/https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=200995833704269317792.0004d6c8fbd3294dc251c&ie=UTF8&ll=53.804148,-1.537228&spn=0.036697,0.111494&t=m&z=14&vpsrc=6&iwloc=0004d6c933c289b50ac70http://www.upstagedleeds.co.uk/http://www.upstagedleeds.co.uk/https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=200995833704269317792.0004d6c8fbd3294dc251c&ie=UTF8&ll=53.804148,-1.537228&spn=0.036697,0.111494&t=m&z=14&vpsrc=6&iwloc=0004d6c933c289b50ac70http://www.thewardrobe.co.uk/https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=200995833704269317792.0004d6c8fbd3294dc251c&ie=UTF8&ll=53.811295,-1.536627&spn=0.036691,0.111494&t=m&z=14&vpsrc=1&iwloc=0004d6c93a333700a7548


4/7

A ROUGH GUIDE 76

Red’s True BBQCloth Hall Street LS1 2HD Gmap T 0113 834 5834

Wwww.truebarbecue.com HMon–Thurs noon–11pm, Fri–Sat noon–

midnight, Sun noon–10pm

“Let there be meat”,

proclaims Red’s, vowing

to save the people

of Leeds from what

it describes as “bad”

barbecue food. Eating

at this American-

inspired restaurant on

Cloth Hall Street is

not quite a religious

experience, but the

food is pretty darn

tasty all the same. It’s

everything you’d hope

for from a barbeque:

Hyde Park Picture House73 Brudenell Road, Headingley LS6 1JD Gmap (bus #56 runs from The

Headrow in Leeds city centre, stopping across the road)T 0113 275 2045

Wwww.hydeparkpicturehouse.co.uk H Evenings and weekends; doors open

15 mins before each film starts; see website for exact times P adults £6.40–

£6.90, concessions £5–£6, under 14s £4.60

There’s just one screen at this

99-year-old ar t-house cinema,

hidden away in a residential part

of Headingley that’s popular with

students. The picturesque picture

house was built in 1914, as the

First World War engulfed Europe,

and is said to be one of the longest

continually operating cinemas in

the country. It still has a lot of charm,

with a tiny red-and-white box office

out front, plus gas lamps and

stained glass fittings throughout the

carpeted lobby.

Films shown in the 280-seat

theatre range from monochrome

comedies starring Audrey Hepburn

strong despite the influx of other

diversions is testament to its

unique concept.

You can drop into the bar for

a drink (cocktails start at £6.40)

or have a lazy dinner at the

restaurant, Soul Kitchen, where

the menu focuses on slow-cooked

Cajun and Caribbean flavours.

Then you can finish up the night

watching a show in the downstairs

club. Sometimes it’s musicians on

the stage, other times it’s cabaret

acts and international dance

troupes. If it’s your first visit, take

a moment to look around the

building; it was once a wallpaper

factory, before actors from the

West Yorkshire Playhouse started

using it as a storage space for

their costumes – hence the

connection with wardrobes.

big hunks of meat, smothered in

barbecue sauce and served up with

deliciously sloppy sides. And to look

at the sheer size of the portions,

you’d be forgiven for thinking that

you’d swapped West Yorkshire for

the American Southwest.

The menu is also pretty

authentic, with a satisfyingly red-

blooded selection of burgers, ribs,

sandwiches and steaks (mains from

£8.95). The meats are rubbed in

herbs and left for at least 24 hours

before they’re smoked and served,

giving them a teeth-squeakingly

juicy texture. It’s worth try ing at

least a couple of the sauces too;

they’re inspired by flavours from

Kentucky and Carolina, but made

in the open kitchen in-house.

Go easy on the ‘triple 6’ hot sauce,

though – made with the world’s

hottest Naga Bhut Jolokia chillies,

it really packs a punch!

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=200995833704269317792.0004d6c8fbd3294dc251c&ie=UTF8&ll=53.804148,-1.537228&spn=0.036697,0.111494&t=m&z=14&vpsrc=6&iwloc=0004d6c90b662b29dbd77http://www.truebarbecue.com/https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=200995833704269317792.0004d6c8fbd3294dc251c&ie=UTF8&ll=53.811295,-1.536627&spn=0.036691,0.111494&t=m&z=14&vpsrc=1&iwloc=0004d6c900a8609a0a28ahttp://www.hydeparkpicturehouse.co.uk/http://www.hydeparkpicturehouse.co.uk/https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=200995833704269317792.0004d6c8fbd3294dc251c&ie=UTF8&ll=53.811295,-1.536627&spn=0.036691,0.111494&t=m&z=14&vpsrc=1&iwloc=0004d6c900a8609a0a28ahttp://www.truebarbecue.com/https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=200995833704269317792.0004d6c8fbd3294dc251c&ie=UTF8&ll=53.804148,-1.537228&spn=0.036697,0.111494&t=m&z=14&vpsrc=6&iwloc=0004d6c90b662b29dbd77


5/7

A ROUGH GUIDE 98 LEEDS

Thackray Medical MuseumNext to St James’s Hospital, Beckett Street LS9 7LN Gmap (buses #16, #42,

#49, #50 and #50A all run from the city centre and stop directly outside the

musum) T 0113 244 4343 Wwww.thackraymedicalmuseum.co.uk

H daily 10am–5pmP adults £7, 5–16s £5, under fives free

It’s the hands-on exhibitions and

pongy recreations of Victorian

streets that get younger visitorsexcited about visiting this charity-

run museum, which tells the story of

medicine. The museum’s

net is cast wide,

covering everything

from the quack

remedies prescribed

centuries ago to the

cutting-edge technology

that’s used in modern

operating theatres. It’s a

lot of fun and there’s a

good chance you’ll learn

something along the

way too. Well-annotated

exhibits show how plastic redefined

the way that doctors care for their

patients, and how microorganismsspread diseases from one person

to another.

Sela Bar20 New Briggate LS1 6NU Gmap T 0113 242 9442

Wwww.selabar.com HMon–Tues 4pm–1am, Wed–Thu 4pm–2am, Fri 4pm–

3am, Sat 3pm–3am, Sun 4pm–midnight

Blink and you’ll miss it. Sela Bar has

such a skinny entrance that it’s easy

to walk straight past. If you do spot the door, and follow the stairs down

into a ruby-coloured lounge with

a small velvet-draped stage at one

end and a bar strung with fairy lights

at the other, you’ll wonder why theowners haven’t made more of a

song and dance about it. Here, amid

the bustle of one

of the city’s busiest

shopping districts,

is a relaxed,

subterranean

hangout where

you can watch a

rock band or jazz trio while drinking

a well-mixed

cocktail. It’s a small

space, providing

a more relaxed

to gritty, Finnish-made documentaries

about rock music – although

Hollywood blockbusters are

screened if they are cr itically

acclaimed. There are also late night

“Creatures of the Night” screenings

every Saturday, with a focus on

gory slasher flicks, cult classics and

bizarre documentaries. Unusually,

the theatre at the Hyde Park Picture

House has two different levels of

seating. Choose one of the more

expensive tickets and you’ll be able

to take your popcorn up to the

cosier balcony level, which is reached

by an elegant double staircase.

alternative to some of the city’s

rowdier late-night bars.

To some degree, your experience

at Sela Bar will depend on the day

of the week. On Wednesdays, for

example, a local reggae band takes

over the stage, while Friday and

Saturday nights are given over to DJs

playing funk and soul. Whichever night

you’re there, make sure you try one

of the pizzas (£6.50), served until

midnight. Another option is to grab a

drink and ask to borrow one of the

board games stashed behind the bar.

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=200995833704269317792.0004d6c8fbd3294dc251c&ie=UTF8&ll=53.80648%2c-1.541691&spn=0.036695%2c0.111494&t=m&z=14&vpsrc=6&iwloc=0004d6c9206d74b0fd828http://www.thackraymedicalmuseum.co.uk/https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=200995833704269317792.0004d6c8fbd3294dc251c&ie=UTF8&ll=53.797559,-1.536627&spn=0.036703,0.111494&t=m&z=14&vpsrc=1&iwloc=0004d6c91857f25e258f2http://www.selabar.com/http://www.selabar.com/https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=200995833704269317792.0004d6c8fbd3294dc251c&ie=UTF8&ll=53.797559,-1.536627&spn=0.036703,0.111494&t=m&z=14&vpsrc=1&iwloc=0004d6c91857f25e258f2http://www.thackraymedicalmuseum.co.uk/https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=200995833704269317792.0004d6c8fbd3294dc251c&ie=UTF8&ll=53.80648%2c-1.541691&spn=0.036695%2c0.111494&t=m&z=14&vpsrc=6&iwloc=0004d6c9206d74b0fd828


6/7

A ROUGH GUIDE 1110

Thwaite MillsThwaite Lane, Stourton LS10 1RP Gmap (bus #110 runs between the

central bus station and Stourton, a 10-minute walk from the mill) T 0113 276

2887Wwww.leeds.gov.uk H Sat–Sun 1pm–5pm, closed Mon. Also open Tues–

Fri 10am–5pm during local school holidaysP adults £3.30, children £1.20

Although it’s only two and a

half miles from Leeds train

station, Thwaite Mills feelsrefreshingly rural. On an island

that’s lapped by the gently

flowing waters of the River

Aire, this attractive, brick-

built complex is home to

one of Br itain’s last remaining

water-powered mills. Pushed

into life by two 18-foot-wide

waterwheels, the machinery

still works, although it’s onlycoaxed into action for the

benefit of visiting tourists.

There was a mill here as early as

the mid-1600s, when water power

was used to pound locally produced

cotton, but the gearwheels and pulleys

you see today date from the 1870s,

when they were used to grind stones

for paint and putty. You can get an

idea of how it was to live at the mill

in the latter years of its working

life by wandering through a neatly

Thornton’s ArcadeThorntons Arcade LS1 6LQ Gmap H hours vary from shop to shop

Three storeys high and with a

curved glass roof, Thornton’s Arcade

is one of the prettiest shopping

precincts in Leeds. It’s also the

oldest, having been completed in

1878. Local wine merchant Charles

Thornton bought the site

several years beforehand, and

applied to demolish the Talbot

Inn, renowned for its raucous

cockfights, which stood in the

way of his vision for a new

kind of shopping experience

in the city.

Today, the narrow arcade

is home to a mixture of

independent shops, including

urban clothing outlet Chimpand jewellery shop Argent,

which sells charms and

wristwatches. High street

staples like Marks & Spencer

are also close by (in 1884

co-founder Michael Marks

Temporary exhibitions held in a

room near the reception desk tackle

difficult issues like disability and

biological weapons, and there’s a

vast research library and research

centre that houses more than

40,000 books on medicine through

the ages (booking is essential if you

want to access the collection). Dads

visiting the museum might also

like to try on the curious-looking

‘empathy belly’. This bulging, front-

heavy vest aims to show visitors

how it feels to be heavily pregnant.

started his penny bazaar on Kirkgate

Market, a five-minute walk away).

Although the whole place was

refurbished in the 1990s, lots of the

arcade’s original quirks remain. At

the northern end there’s an unusual

mechanical clock made with four

life-sized characters from Ivanhoe

by Sir Walter Scott, including Robin

Hood and Gurth the Swineherd.

Stick around until the clock strikes

the hour, and you’ll see Friar Tuck

punching half-heartedly at the main

bell in the middle.

LEEDS

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=200995833704269317792.0004d6c8fbd3294dc251c&ie=UTF8&ll=53.787215,-1.528473&spn=0.036712,0.111494&t=m&z=14&vpsrc=6&iwloc=0004d6c93119f343efa1fhttp://www.leeds.gov.uk/thwaitemillshttps://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=200995833704269317792.0004d6c8fbd3294dc251c&ie=UTF8&ll=53.811295,-1.536627&spn=0.036691,0.111494&t=m&z=14&vpsrc=1&iwloc=0004d6c92b14d847082dbhttps://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=200995833704269317792.0004d6c8fbd3294dc251c&ie=UTF8&ll=53.811295,-1.536627&spn=0.036691,0.111494&t=m&z=14&vpsrc=1&iwloc=0004d6c92b14d847082dbhttp://www.leeds.gov.uk/thwaitemillshttps://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=200995833704269317792.0004d6c8fbd3294dc251c&ie=UTF8&ll=53.787215,-1.528473&spn=0.036712,0.111494&t=m&z=14&vpsrc=6&iwloc=0004d6c93119f343efa1f


7/7

LEEDS 13

42 The Calls42 The Calls LS2 7EW Gmap T 0113 244 0099 Wwww.42thecalls.co.uk

P doubles from £150

If you want to stay in the middle

of Leeds and would rather avoid

bland chain hotels, 42 The Calls is a

fairly safe bet. On a cobbled street

near Leeds Minster, this eighteenth-

century building by the River Aire

once operated as a corn mill. Then, in

1991, developers transformed it into a

waterfront hotel. Thankfully, a lot of the

original features were retained; look

upwards in some of the rooms and

you’ll see rustic pulleys and machine

parts hanging from the ceiling. The

corridors display grainy photographs

showing how the building looked

before renovations began, giving

a sense of how much work was

involved in the transformation.

The 41 rooms all have their own

personalities, so ask whether you can

see a couple of different ones when

you check in. Comfort levels are

consistently high though, with huge

beds, spongy-soft scatter cushions

and cute extras left on the duvet by

the cleaners: little boxes of Smarties,

for example. Special privacy hatches

with locks on both sides allow staff

to bring newspapers and breakfast

without disturbing guests. Eating in

the restaurant downstairs is by no

means a chore though; the buffet is

well stocked, and the tables look right

out across the river.

first transPennineTip

You’ll be set for the day

after a hearty breakfast

at 42 The Calls, which

includes: 12 varietiesof sausages, kippers,

homemade jams,

marmalades, waffles

and pastries, hmmm.

restored Georgian home at the front

of the complex. Kids will probably be

just as interested in the narrowboats

that chug past on the adjacent canal,

and the birds and butterflies that

flutter through the surrounding

gardens; kingfishers are a common

sight. If you fancy a really green day

out, it’s possible to combine a visit

with a walk along part of the Trans

Pennine Trail (www.transpenninetrail.

org.uk ), which runs close to the mill.

A ROUGH GUIDE12

CreditsAuthor: Steve Vickers

Editing and Picture research: Ian Blenkinsop

Design & layout: Anthony Limerick and Ann

Cannings

Project manager: Ian Blenkinsop

Account manager (First TransPennine):

Caroline Anchor

Account manager (Rough Guides): Michael

Stanfield

For this edition:

Factcheckers: Keith Munro, Steve Vickers

Senior editor: Ros Walford

Senior prepress designer: Daniel May

Senior digital producer Sean Daly

First published 2013

This second edition published May 2014 by

Rough Guides Ltd, 80 Strand, LondonWC2R 0RL

© Rough Guides Ltd, 2013

ISBN 978-0-2411-8326-7

The publishers and authors have done their

best to ensure the accuracy and currency

of all the information contained in Rough

Guides’ Hidden Gems: Leeds, however, they can

accept no responsibility for any loss, injury

or inconvenience sustained as a result of

information or advice contained in the guide.

Picture creditsAll illustrations are © First TransPennine Express.

All photography is © Rough Guides except forthe following:

UpStaged © UpStaged; Red’s True BBQ © Red’s/

James Douglas; Hyde Park Picture House © Tony

O’Connell; Thackray Museum © Thackray Medical

Museum; Thornton’s Arcade © Peter Richardson/

Robert Harding World Imagery/Corbis; Thwaite

Mills © Sarah Zagni for Leeds Museums and

Galleries/Creative Commons BY NC SA; 42 The

Calls © 42 The Calls.
https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=200995833704269317792.0004d6c8fbd3294dc251c&ie=UTF8&ll=53.804148,-1.537228&spn=0.036697,0.111494&t=m&z=14&vpsrc=6&iwloc=0004d6c8fbd4b60f8d366http://www.42thecalls.co.uk/http://www.42thecalls.co.uk/http://www.transpenninetrail.org.uk/http://www.transpenninetrail.org.uk/http://www.transpenninetrail.org.uk/http://www.transpenninetrail.org.uk/http://www.42thecalls.co.uk/http://www.42thecalls.co.uk/https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=200995833704269317792.0004d6c8fbd3294dc251c&ie=UTF8&ll=53.804148,-1.537228&spn=0.036697,0.111494&t=m&z=14&vpsrc=6&iwloc=0004d6c8fbd4b60f8d366

Documents

Hidden Gems Leeds