🕵️♂️ Unusual and Unique Places to Discover in Leeds
Leeds is full of surprises, with quirky landmarks, forgotten history, and hidden gems waiting to be uncovered. This guide will lead you to the most unusual and lesser-known spots in the city, from Victorian curiosities to cultural oddities.
On this page:
👉 Click here to view all of these locations on a Google map
Art, Architecture, and Oddities
🕰️ Leeds’ Hidden Time Ball
Look closely at the spire of Leeds’ former Yorkshire Bank on Briggate to see a rare Victorian time ball. It once dropped daily at precisely 1 p.m. to help people set their watches.
📍 24, 25 and 26 Briggate, Leeds LS1 6AA
👉 More information about the Time Ball Building
🎨 Mabgate Murals and Leeds Street Art
Mabgate, a thriving hub for creatives, features stunning street art. Wander the alleys and side streets to discover bold, colorful murals by local artists that bring this area to life. Welcome to Leeds has an excellent map for a self-guided Leeds Street Art Trail.
📍 Mabgate, Leeds
👉 Welcome to Leeds Street Art Trail
🏛️ Temple Works
This historic flax mill is an architectural wonder with an Egyptian-inspired façade. It was one of the first large-scale, single-story factories, and once had sheep grazing on its roof! While partially unused today, it remains a striking monument to Leeds' industrial past.
📍 17 Marshall St, Holbeck, Leeds LS11 9EH
👉 More information about Temple Works
🧵 The Armley Mills Ghostly Textile Machinery
Explore the Leeds Industrial Museum at Armley Mills, where eerie tales of ghostly machines and haunted looms fill the air. Once the world's largest woollen mill, its quiet halls tell the story of Leeds’ industrial past. A number of companies offer Ghost Hunts at the site.
📍 Canal Rd, Armley, Leeds LS12 2QF
👉 Leeds Industrial Museum website
🌆 The Arcades of Leeds
Hidden among the shopping streets are ornate Victorian arcades like Grand Arcade and Queen’s Arcade. These beautifully preserved spaces feature stunning glass roofs, intricate tiles, and boutique stores. Look out for the Ivanhoe Clock in Thornton's Arcade!
📍 Queen's Arcade, Leeds LS1 6LH,
📍 Thornton's Arcade, Lands Ln, Leeds LS1 6LQ,
📍 Grand Arcade, 20 Merrion St, Leeds LS1 6PQ,
📍 Victoria Quarter, Victoria St, Leeds LS1 6BE
👉 More information about the Arcades
🚂 The Central Station Wagon Hoist
A remarkable Victorian invention hidden in Wellington Place, the wagon hoist was used to hoist wagons from the higher-level passenger line down to the goods yard at the original Leeds Central railway station. This relic of Leeds’ railway history is tucked into a modern development.
📍 Wellington Place, Leeds LS1 4AP
👉 More information about the Wagon Hoist
🦉 Leeds Owl Trail
Did you know Leeds is home to dozens of hidden owl carvings, statues, and motifs? Owls are the city’s unofficial mascot, and you can spot them on buildings, parks, and public art installations. Follow the fascinating trail of owl sculptures across the city while learning about Leeds’ cultural heritage.
📍 Various locations in Leeds city centre
👉 Leeds Owl Trail website
Hidden History and Curiosities
🖋️ Florence Nightingale’s Writing Desk at Lotherton
Visit Lotherton Hall to see Florence Nightingale’s writing desk, a fascinating artifact tied to the renowned nurse and reformer. The desk dates from the 1840s and was brought to Lotherton by Florence’s god-daughter.
📍 Lotherton Hall, Aberford, Leeds LS25 3EB
👉 More information about Florence Nightingale's desk
🏠 J.R.R. Tolkien’s Former House
Before writing The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien lived in Leeds and worked at the University of Leeds as Reader and later Professor of English Language. While in Leeds, Tolkien worked on a new edition of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
📍 2 Darnley Rd, West Park, Leeds LS16 5JF
👉 More information about Tolkien's time in Leeds
🎥 Leeds Bridge: Birthplace of Film
French inventor Louis Le Prince filmed the oldest surviving motion picture in Roundhay in 1888, and shortly after filmed a scene at Leeds Bridge, capturing pedestrians and carriages crossing the bridge.
📍 Leeds Bridge, Leeds LS2
👉 Learn more about Louis Le Prince
⚓ Letter from US President Bill Clinton to Horsforth
The Hollywood film U-571 stirred controversy in the UK for misrepresenting a key wartime event. The movie credited American forces with capturing one of the first Enigma machines, a victory that actually belonged to the British Royal Navy. A crucial part of this success was HMS Aubretia, a ship funded by the people of Horsforth, who raised an astonishing £241,000 in just one week (around £4 million today). The historical inaccuracy caused such a backlash that President Bill Clinton sent a letter to Horsforth, recognizing the town’s role in the war effort. This letter is now displayed at Horsforth Village Museum.
📍 Horsforth Village Museum, Horsforth, Leeds LS18 5JB
👉 Horsforth Village Museum website
🛍️ Marks & Spencer Origin Stall and Archive
Discover the humble beginnings of the global retail giant Marks & Spencer at their penny bazaar stall in Kirkgate Market. A charming nod to history, the stall has been faithfully restored to showcase the company’s origins. Pair this visit with the M&S Company Archive, located at the University of Leeds, which houses fascinating exhibits, documents, and memorabilia spanning over a century of retail history.
📍 M&S Stall, Leeds Kirkgate Market, Kirkgate, Leeds LS2 7HY
📍 M&S Archive, University of Leeds, Woodhouse, Leeds LS2 9LP
👉 M&S Archive website
🪦 Pablo Fanque’s Grave at Woodhouse Cemetery
Pablo Fanque, Britain’s first black circus owner and the inspiration behind The Beatles’ “Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite!”, rests in the historic Woodhouse Cemetery. A hidden cultural gem for music and history lovers alike.
📍 Woodhouse Cemetery, Leeds LS2 9LG
🦷 Thackray Museum of Medicine’s Curiosities
This quirky medical museum houses bizarre and unusual artifacts, including antique surgical tools, 19th-century quack medicine, and lifelike Victorian displays of public health.
📍 Beckett St, Leeds LS9 7LN
👉 Thackray Museum website
🐻 The Bear Pit in Headingley
Hidden in plain sight, this 19th-century Victorian bear pit was once a brutal entertainment venue. Now an eerie reminder of the past, it’s tucked away in a small park in Headingley.
📍 53 Cardigan Rd, Headingley, Leeds LS6 1DW
👉 More information about the Bear Pit
⏰ The Harrison Clock at Leeds City Museum
Hidden away in Leeds City Museum is the Harrison Clock, a masterpiece of 18th-century craftsmanship made by John Harrison, who revolutionized maritime navigation with his clocks.
📍 Millennium Square, Leeds LS2 8BH
👉 More information about the Harrison Clock
🎼 The Organ at Leeds Town Hall
The Leeds Town Hall is home to an awe-inspiring 12 metre high organ — one of the largest in Europe. Attend an organ recital or tour this iconic building to experience its grandeur.
📍 Leeds Town Hall, The Headrow, Leeds LS1 3AD
👉 More information about the Leeds Town Hall organ
📚 Touring the Leeds Library
The Leeds Library is a hidden bibliophile’s paradise. Founded in 1768, it’s the oldest surviving subscription library in the UK. Behind an unassuming doorway, you’ll find spiral staircases, grand reading rooms, and a treasure trove of rare books.
📍 18 Commercial St, Leeds LS1 6AL
👉 The Leeds Library website
Secret Outdoor Wonders
🐸 Meanwood Valley Urban Farm and the view from Sugarwell Hill Park
This urban farm not only hosts animals and activities but also has hidden paths and woodland walks - the view of the city centre from the top of Sugarwell Hill park is one of the best in Leeds.
📍 Sugar Well Rd, Leeds LS7 2QG and Sugarwell Hill Park, Leeds LS7 2HR
👉 Meanwood Valley Urban Farm website
🌿 The Hollies Woodland Walk
This enchanting woodland near Meanwood Park offers unusual plants, hidden sculptures, and a small network of quiet paths. The estate was given to the city in 1921 by its former owner in memory of his son killed in World War I. It is widely thought that J.R.R.Tolkien spent time here when he lived nearby. It’s a serene, lesser-visited spot perfect for an afternoon wander.
📍 Weetwood Ln, Leeds LS16 5PA
👉 More information about The Hollies
🪴 The Secret Garden at Temple Newsam
Temple Newsam is well-known, but fewer visitors find the beautiful hidden walled garden that has been growing exotic plants for over 200 years. It’s a peaceful escape filled with vibrant flowers and shady nooks.
📍 Temple Newsam Rd, Leeds LS15 0AE
👉 More information about the gardens at Temple Newsam
🪨 The Ilkley Moor Swastika Stone
Venture just outside Leeds to Ilkley Moor to discover an ancient and mysterious carved swastika symbol dating back thousands of years. It’s one of the area’s most unusual and puzzling landmarks.
📍 Ilkley Moor, Ilkley LS29 9QQ
👉 More information about the swastika stone
🌿 Penny Pocket Park and Leeds Minster
This tiny, tucked-away green space in the middle of the city was originally a graveyard. Unusually, the gravestones were kept to cover the slopes where railway lines now bisect the park. The park itself is close to the beautiful Leeds Minster which was built in 1841 and sits on the site of the oldest church in Leeds.
👉 More information about Penny Pocket Park
📍 St John's park, Leeds LS2 7EG
🕳️ The Dark Arches
Beneath Leeds Station lies a labyrinth of tunnels, known as the Dark Arches. Built in the 19th century, these atmospheric walkways span the River Aire and are lined with brickwork. When it was built, it was one of the largest man-made underground spaces in the UK, using over 18 million bricks.
📍 Granary Wharf, Leeds LS1 4ED
👉 More information about the Dark Arches
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