Crowned by Yorkshire Dales National Park and dense woodland, this scenic area is a hub of historic and cultural settlements. Spend days visiting the cities and enchanting countryside.
Learn about the textile industry in West Yorkshire, where woollen mills and factories remain today among cathedrals and parks.
The university city of LeedsOpens in a new window is the county’s largest commune with sprawling parks and a historic town centre. Admire the Victorian architecture of the dome-shaped Corn ExchangeOpens in a new window, which holds shops and restaurants beneath a glass ceiling. To the northwest is the Leeds City Art GalleryOpens in a new window, The Light shopping centre and the Leeds Town Hall. Relax in the adjacent [CDG|6082809|Millennium SquareOpens in a new window, which has political and musical events.
Make your way north of Leeds’ city centre to explore the impressive campus of the University of Leeds. Admire the Gothic-revival Great Hall and the art deco Parkinson Building. Wander through Woodhouse Moor to reach the Hyde Park Picture House.
Leeds and its neighbour Bradford have grown quickly and their outskirts touch. Explore the latter’s Victorian architecture in buildings such as the Cartwright Hall Art Gallery. Find out about the city’s booming textile industry at the Gothic-revival Wool Exchange. The highlight is the 15th-century Bradford Cathedral.
Aside from the cities, West Yorkshire has spectacular terrain and quaint villages. Trek through the otherworldly terrain of Ilkley Moor. See the evidence of the Anglo Saxon round houses in Castleford Queens Park and travel to the 17th-century manor house of East Riddlesden Hall in Keighley.
West Yorkshire is the home of rugby league, which is similar to traditional rugby. Watch the Bradford Bulls, Huddersfield Giants and Leeds Rhinos. Attend a cricket match at Headingley Stadium and see Leeds United soccer team play at Elland Road Stadium.
Expect cold winds in winter due to the high elevation, inland location and northern latitude. Rivers often freeze over and snow covers the ground. Summers are pleasant with long days.
Arrive at the Leeds Bradford International Airport in the heart of the county, which is in the Yorkshire and the Humber region a little to the north of central England. Get around the vast region by rail, coach or car.
West Yorkshire combines the cultural allure of grand cities with the rustic setting of its villages.
