Spending a Weekend In Leeds: Everything To Do

Leeds is one of the major cities in Yorkshire, which is located in the North East. Now it isn’t a major city in the UK, however, it is one of the main routes which connects all of the train lines together, which is the reason why I wanted to go and learn more about the city itself. 

Pontefract 

Before I arrived in Leeds, I drove to an area just outside of it called Pontefract. The reason I visited this spot is because of Pontefract Castle, and visiting castles in the UK is something that I love. There is plenty to see all around the country, and I’ve seen an awful lot already. That being said, Pontefract Castle was one that I had never been to before. Not to mention it is one of the oldest castles in the country, with it first being built in 1070. 

Now you can just visit the castle by yourself; however, I decided to go on the guided tours. The first one was at 10:45 AM on Saturday morning, where you get a tour of the dungeons. Something that is well and truly fascinating. After this finished, which was roughly 35 minutes long, I headed into the castle’s cafe where I got myself a coffee along with a cake. I had some time to kill before the next tour, which was of the castle itself. This was at 2 pm, and it was a great experience. Once this was finished, I headed back to my car to travel to Leeds, which was only a 30-minute drive. 

Leeds

Once I arrived at Leeds, I headed straight to my hotel, which was the easyHotel. I tend to not go expensive when it comes to my hotel stays, simply because I’d like to spend more money when I am on my holiday break. This would either be on food or just general day to day shopping. Plus, I was only there for a night because I was heading back home on Sunday evening. 

Upon my arrival at the hotel, it was very short and sweet. I dropped my bags off and then left my room for some proper British Pub Grub at the Whitelock’s Ale House. Here I had a good old classic, Beer-Battered Haddock and Chips. I had to have my food here because this has been a pub for over 200 years, originally opening as a pub in 1715. It has been an iconic part of Leeds for many years, which is why I had to visit it. Once I was finished here, I took myself back to the hotel room as I needed some much-needed rest for the next day. 

Day 2 in Leeds

There were two things that I wanted to see before I finished my trip in Leeds. That was visiting the Royal Armouries Museum and visiting one of the shopping centres in Leeds called Victoria Leeds. But before I started my day, I ensured I had a good breakfast. Eggs Benedict pancakes are what I went with at Laynes, which is a lovely little cafe in the heart of this Yorkshire city. I finished here at a perfect time because the Royal Armouries Museum opens at 10 am and it has free entry. That is one of the perks of UK museums; most of them are free, which is why it is always a fun day out. 

Up next was more food, and if you haven’t got the idea, I absolutely adore my food. This time, I was heading into Victoria Leeds, where they have many fabulous restaurants, including the Cut & Craft, where I had my lunch. Here I got two courses for £22, and my choice was the Truffle Potato Croquettes followed by a steak sandwich. That was enough food for the day, and I knew it would fuel my shopping spree in this fantastic shopping centre, home to many fantastic stores. 

My Review of The Trip

Overall, my trip was fantastic. I got to have plenty of food, along with seeing one of the local castles that has years of history. Not to mention stopping off at one of the famous shopping centres. Overall, it was a 4 out of 5 stay, and it definitely could’ve been 5 out of 5 if I stayed an extra day and explored more of the city. 

Leeds isn’t at the top of many people’s lists of places to go; however, it is certainly one that I would recommend, whether it’s for the restaurant or for the simple city convenience of parking in Leeds. I’ll be visiting there again as I felt like there was a lot more to see and do, such as the corn exchange and exploring the Dark Arches underneath the railway station. So if you haven’t tried Leeds yourself, then I would certainly recommend it to you.