England Guide
Yorkshire
Leeds
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, and in many of its dilapidated suburbs, but the grime has been removed from the impressive Victorian buildings and the city is revelling in its persona as a booming financial, commercial and cultural centre. The renowned shops, restaurants, bars and clubs make it Yorkshire's top destination for a day or two of conspicuous consumption and indulgence.
The city's museums include the impressive Royal Armouries, which hold the national arms and armour collection, and the City Art Gallery has one of the best collections of British twentieth-century art outside London. Outlying attractions range from the fascinating Thackray Museum of medicine to the art collection and grounds at Temple Newsam, while with more time you can do justice to the region's major draws – the great Georgian country house, Harewood, the National Coal Mining Museum and the bucolic Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
Shopping
1 Victoria Quarter Briggate 
www.vqleeds.com Most shoppers make a beeline for the arcades on either side of pedestrianized Briggate. These nineteenth-century palaces of marble, mahogany, stained glass and mosaics have been magnificently restored, the most splendid of all being the light-flooded Victoria Quarter, with Harvey Nichols as its designer lodestone.
2 Kirkgate Market Vicar Lane www.leedsmarket.com Kirkgate Market is the largest market in the north of England, while the open market behind here is where Michael Marks set up stall in 1884 with the slogan "don't ask the price, it's a penny" – an enterprise that blossomed into the present-day retail giant Marks & Spencer. Opening time: Kirkate closes 2pm Wed & all Sun; open market closed Wed & Sun
3 Corn Exchange Cnr Vicar Lane and Duncan Street The elliptical, domed Corn Exchange is now a hip market for jewellery, retro clothes, furnishings, music and other bits and bobs – extra craft stores open up at weekends. Opening time: Open daily