Are you an avid history and art lover looking for a great idea for your English weekend? Pick up a car hire Leeds Bradford Airport and head out to explore some of the amazing local sights. Leeds is a beautiful British city with a rich past. The huge cultural heritage and historical significance of the city are not accidental, as it has existed for over 1,000 years.
There you will find both iconic squares and unique ancient architectural structures. A large selection of museums and galleries will give you a complete impression of Leeds. All the major travel facilities are easily accessible with a hire car and you can visit them at your own pace. Here are some of the best places to explore in Leeds:
Millennium Square
This square was built not so long ago. The city has spent about £ 12 million to make the square a starting point for the Millennium celebrations in 2000. They succeeded because even now this place delights travellers.
It hosts a variety of events such as opera performances, concerts, and numerous city celebrations. On a huge screen installed right on the square, today you can watch various sports events.
Near Millennium Square, you’ll find some no less significant sights, including Town Hall, City College of Art, Leeds Civic Hall, and Leeds Academy.
Leeds City Museum
The museum began operating in 2008, but in fact, its building dates back to 1819. A hundred years later, it was handed over to the city council. During World War II, the exhibits were badly damaged and the museum was closed.
Today, the museum exhibits change frequently, but they are all dedicated to the history of the city. In the central hall, a world map is drawn on the floor, while the man-eating tiger is the most popular exhibit.
In the museum, you will also find an ancient Roman mosaic that dates back to 250 BC, as well as several mummies. All this makes Leeds City Museum a great place to visit during your trip. Moreover, it’s located in the very center of the city, which makes it easy to get to it with a hire car.
Leeds Bridge
This is an iconic construction, which was built in 1730. The bridge is mostly made of cast iron. Today the bridge is a historically valuable object protected by the state.
On the west side of the bridge, there’s a plaque with inscriptions, and in 1888 the bridge became the hero of the first video filming in history. You can explore the bridge right from the window of your hire car, but it’s better if you park it nearby and walk across the bridge on foot.
Leeds City Square
The square is located in the very heart of the city. Driving your hire car there will be a great idea for your trip.
The appearance of the square is associated with the expansion of the space in front of the post building. The construction of the square was completed in 1899, and later a bronze statue of the Black Prince was installed there. The prince on horseback is the creation of Thomas Brock.
Over time, other architectural monuments began to appear on Leeds City Square, and today there’s a railway station in its southern part. The old post office was turned into a restaurant, although the square itself was badly damaged during World War II.
Grand Theater
Located in the heart of Leeds, the Grand Theater was designed by architect James Robinson Watson. The opening took place in 1878, and the structure itself is a mixture of Scottish and Romanesque styles, with Gothic elements of the interior.
The theater has a capacity of 1,500 and hosts internationally renowned performers. After an extensive renovation in 2005-2006, the hall was modernized to increase the seating capacity for spectators and space for the orchestra.
Now it is a great place to visit. Even if you are not a fan of opera, then come there to take pictures of the incredibly beautiful historical building.
Leeds Minster
This is a real pilgrimage site for architecture lovers. If you are one of them, then pick up a hire car and go there on your next trip to Leeds.
This building is the main Anglican Church in the city and is also considered to be an old parish church. Leeds Minster is a cross-shaped building made in the Gothic style. The forty-meter tower adorns the northern aisle of the church. It looks very beautiful because it consists of four tiers of different heights. It is decorated with foliage ornaments with buttresses.
The tower has a clock and stained glass windows, while the bell tower consists of 13 bells. The organ plays there every Friday. The church is very characteristic of some London buildings, which look very majestic and mysterious.
Thackray Museum of Medicine
The history of the museum’s creation has deep roots. The building itself appeared in 1858. Here lived people who lost their homes, and then the building began to be used to provide medical care to the poor.
During the war, it served as a military hospital. Today it houses amazing exhibits that were part of Victorian life at that time. Here you will see the most popular diseases and methods of their treatment. Also, you can how medical operations were performed in those distant times.
Unique video reconstructions of operations are also available there. In addition, the museum hosts an interactive gallery showing the workings of the human body. It even houses the skeleton of the Yorkshire witch Mary Bateman, who was executed for witchcraft in 1809.
