Our First Time In Leeds – This City TOTALLY Surprised Us!

It’s our first time visiting Leeds and Yorkshire’s biggest city was NOT what we expected.

This city is a bit under the radar as far as tourists go and it didn’t take us long to discover how underrated Leeds is. From its world class museums and rich industrial heritage to streets lined with incredible architecture that really blew us away. We uncover one of the city’s victorian hidden gems while enjoying a coffee and explore one of the largest indoor markets in Europe where we tuck in to some delicious street food.

Leeds is bold, buzzing and full of history and is just waiting to be explored!

Check out another of Yorkshire’s incredible cities next https://youtu.be/DnMQuge1PsI?si=DJ7Ntov8s0wBxEYh

#leeds #visitleeds #leedsvlog #yorkshire

We didn’t really know what to expect from Leeds, but from the moment we arrived, this city just kept surprising us. It’s bold, buzzing, and full of history, but also way cooler than we imagined. This may be one of the coolest places we’ve ever had coffee. This was our first time in Yorkshire’s biggest city, and it completely won us [Music] over. Well, good morning from the city of Leeds. Now, this is somewhere that’s been recommended to us by so many people over the last couple of years, and we finally got here to explore the city. We’re starting our day in the docks area, and we’ve just been into Northstar Coffee, which was another recommendation, and oh my goodness, 10 out of 10. 10 out of 10. The Brios bun and the bacon. We So, so basically, I had we both had bacon and scrambled egg bun, but it was so good. bacon from a local butchers called Lishels, I think it was, and it was just the best bacon I’ve ever eaten in my life. And the coffee was really good as well. So, we’re now fully energized for the day ahead. And the Royal Armor is Museum is right behind us as well. I think it’s the top tourist attraction here in Leeds. So, uh, guess where we’re going now? To the museum. I love a museum. And it’s free. I don’t know why I’m bouncing. It’s free. Ah, it’s a free museum. Even better. [Music] I’m a little confused. I can hear bag pipes. For a moment, I was like, are we back in Scotland? No, it’s Easter weekend and they’ve got some something going on at the Royal Armories, some festival thing. So, I’m assuming it’s for that, but we’re just going to go and do the museum cuz the tickets for the festival are all sold out. So, we could go and have a sword fight. You could I don’t know if they’re cooking something over there, but it smells really nice. It smells like barbecue bonfiry kind of. You’ve just eaten. Anyway, into the museum. [Music] Oh, yeah. You’d make a great night at the realm. Yeah. The Royal Armory’s Museum is built as the world’s finest collection of arms and armor and spans five floors in the lead dock area of the city. We’ve decided to start at the top floor and work our way down. Josh isn’t very keen on this glassided. Oh dear. [Music] Most of the fourth floor of the museum is taken up by the African and Asian gallery with displays and objects from the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, including the full body armor of an elephant. [Music] The fourth floor is also home to the self-defense gallery, including unusual items of concealed weaponry, iconic movie props, and a vampire slaying kit from the 19th century. [Music] On the second floor, you will find the war gallery, complete with impressive displays of historic battles, informative interactive exhibits, and plenty of battle armor. [Music] This floor is also home to the tournament gallery where they host live demonstrations of sporting battles and gift armor for both horses and rich and famous men, including several gifted to Henry VIII. And there are certainly some unusual designs, including cuttingedge armor technology from the time, which he never actually wore. The Royal Armories in Leeds knew we were coming, Josh. They rolled out the big guns. But to be fair, if anywhere was going to have big guns, I’d expect No, I’d expect it to be a museum called the Royal Armories. Not to be missed is the Hall of Steel. This staircase spans all five floors and is home to 2 and a half thousand objects displayed how they would have been at the Tower of London in the 1600s. It’s an impressive site for sure. Then it’s exit through the gift shop. Free sucker. Oh, very fierce. Well, that museum caught us a little off guard, actually. That isn’t something that we’d normally rush to coming to a city. A museum all about armory. Armory and weaponry and stuff. It doesn’t sound like something we’d normally want to go and see, but everything was good. We was in there for ages. Yeah, it’s absolutely huge in there and it’s really, really well presented. Highlights for us probably definitely the armored elephant. That was such a showpiece. And then the Hall of Steel, which was like a massive tower at the end where you could just look all the way up or all the way down depending on whether you’ve got vertigo or not. And it’s just lined with weapons, armor, and everything. It was just an incredible site. And then they’ve got the bit in there where they’ve got some Henry VI armor and they do some demonstrations and stuff in there. There interactive exhibits and everything. Really, really well presented. It’s absolutely heaving around here because they’ve got Jelstring tournaments and everything going on. It kind of worked in our favor. Everyone was out here watching that whilst we was in there and now we’ve come out, everybody’s gone in there. So, it’s worked quite well and now it’s getting busy. We’re going to go and jump on the iconic Leeds water taxi towards the city center. So, it’s working perfectly for us. [Music] Leeds is now home to two yellow water taxis called Twi and Dree which originally operated in Amsterdam. They run every 20 minutes between Leeds Dock and Granary Warf for Leeds train station. For a relatively short but scenic journey along the river air and only £3 per person, it’s an absolute bargain. your ears again, please. Thank you. [Music] While the water taxi was fun, what I didn’t expect was like a full commentary from the driver. I don’t know if that’s captain. I don’t know if that’s what captain. Captain captain. It’s a boat. It’s captain. full commentary of telling us like about the areas that we were passing in the history of it as well. I don’t know if that’s something they’re meant to do or it’s just something he personally does. Yeah. But I mean3 pound per person and that was the cheapest guided tour I think we’ve ever One thing we did notice though, there wasn’t a queue going from the museum where we got on. Yeah. To the other side. But going back from this side back, there’s a huge queue. Yeah. But they’re frequent cuz there’s two of them running backwards and forward. So it’s not going to take too long to wait. And now um we’ve decided we need more coffee. I’ve had one coffee today and I just feel like I don’t function until at least three. Luckily, we’ve seen a really cool looking place that we want to go and check out that’s full of history as well. So, we’re going to head there now and hopefully get ourselves some more caffeine. Yay. Also, it’s just started to be a little bit windy around here. It’s either that or we’re in a wind tunnel. Little bit chilly. You always moan about the weather. You’re so British. I am British. Nah. Okay, this walkway under the train station is really neat. Look at this. It is pretty cool. I love it. It’s brilliant. And it doesn’t smell, which most under train station things do. So, loving it. [Music] This may be one of the coolest places we’ve ever had coffee. Like, how incredible is this hall? [Music] Located at Leed’s art gallery, the Tiled Hall cafe is a Victorian masterpiece. Originally the main library reading room, it was renovated in 2007 and restored to its former glory after being covered in panels for decades. So, not only is this an incredible place to sit and drink coffee, but I got a batch brew coffee and any pastry for 4 quid. I think that’s a pretty decent deal. Josh’s inner child came out and he saw a dragon’s egg something cupcake. I don’t know. It caught my eye so I thought I’m gonna have it purely because had a little egg on the top. Could have got you a bag of mini eggs cheaper. But I hope you enjoy it. Well, not only is this an incredible location to have coffee, the coffee was good. The pastries and the cakes were good. And given we’re not big drinkers, this is definitely our idea of a night on the tiles. Definitely see what you did there. Hey, real quick. If you like this video and you are not subscribed to JJ Extra, what are you doing? Make sure you subscribe because they make videos from all over the place and you’ll be sure to find something else you like. Do what she says. We didn’t pay her at all. And next on our itinerary here in Leeds is another one of the city’s totally free museums, the Lead City Museum. And I think Josh, this one has dinosaurs, maybe. I’m not going to guarantee it 100%, but I’m pretty sure I saw online some bones. I remember once you said, “Oh, this place has dinosaurs somewhere else.” And they didn’t have dinosaurs, and I was very upset. No, it had a skeleton tiger, though. But there’s definitely bones in there, and I’m pretty sure it may have like fossil discoveries and that from this area. Yeah. I mean, it’s a pretty cool building, too. It is a really cool building, actually. Anyway, let’s get inside and go and see if there is dinosaurs. Someone’s excited. Tell them you’ve had a coffee, can’t you? And a cake. And a [Music] cake. The first thing I’m thinking about when I come in here is the smell. Reminds me of when we was kids and going to school and we had what they called. Mine’s gone blank. When we’re on a school trip, that’s what it reminds me of. I don’t know why. Well, one of the places you go on a school trip. Yeah. You know, like when you come to a museum. I don’t know. Anyway, cuz this whole lower floor is animals and fossils. I just don’t know if there’s any dinosaur fossils yet. There’s some pretty cool looking stuff, though. Told you you lied to me. The Lead City Museum is home to numerous permanent exhibitions, including Life on Earth, a sizable collection of fossils and bones, as well as taxiderermy animals, including the museum’s iconic tiger. You can try an outfit on Jason if you want. No, absolutely not. No, they have got some parts of an actual dodo skeleton in here though. We do love a dodo because we saw Sorry, just filming for Instagram in the museum in Oxford. Yes, it’s the only place in the world where they’ve actually got soft tissue from a dodo. And this says there’s no complete remains of a dodo anywhere. There’s also an ancient world’s gallery displaying Roman artifacts. objects from ancient Greece and ancient Egyptian items, including the 3,000-year-old lead’s mummy. Well, Josh, it’s not quite what I was expecting, but there is actually a dinosaur in this museum. That means I didn’t lie to you. Great. But what drew us to this museum was the lead story exhibition showcasing the history of this city from local industry and inventions to archaeological discoveries and an insight into modern life in [Music] Leeds. Another one of Leeds’s free museums ticked off. There’s quite a lot going on in there as well. If you’ve only got time for one of the two museums, then definitely do the Royal Armories. Yes, I agree. But if you’ve got time for both, that’s definitely worth a visit as well. We did find that dinosaur for you in the end. Not quite the dinosaur you were hoping to see. I was expecting like a T-Rex or something a little bit more exciting, but I’ll take it. We did find a giant creepy bird on the ground floor, though, that had a ridiculous tiny head and ridiculous massive feet. I don’t know what sort of stupid animal that was, but I’d never heard of a mower before other than a lawn mower. just to balance him out with the the tiny head. I don’t know. Clearly. Anyway, we’re now going off to find Kirk Gate Market because we’ve heard it’s an abundance of food available in there and there seems to be a theme coming on today. It’s like refreshment museum repeat, but we’re not doing any more museums. No, we will be doing more food. Also, the sun has come out. It has. And it’s absolutely beautiful. And the city doesn’t seem that busy even though it’s a Saturday on a holiday weekend. [Music] Well, we’ve got a little distracted on our way to find food because another thing that we wanted to see here in Leeds and something it’s famous for is all of its various different shopping arcades. And we’ve just stumbled across three that we want to see. The Thornton Arcade, the County Arcade, and Queens Arcade. So, we thought while we’re in the area and on our way to food, we’re going to check them all out while we’re here. So far, and I think it is it’s going to be this one that’s my favorite. It’s very bougie in this one. is very ornate and I think it’s going to be difficult to pick between them cuz I think they’ve all got slight differences and [Music] [Applause] [Music] quirks. The county arcade was built in 1898 and today is home to many high-end luxury stores like Louis Vuitton and Malbury. The Thornton Arcade dates back to 1878 and is home to one of the most iconic clocks manufactured by local clock makers William Pottson Sons. That was good timing. I made a jump. Literally get it. Good timing. There’s a clock. [Music] Queen’s Arcade was built in 1889 and is full of niche independent retailers, although it doesn’t have the wow factor of the other two arcades. Okay, so ranking the three leads arcades that we’ve been to, I’m going to say Queens Arcade was my least favorite. Yep, agree. Then Thornton Arcade cuz I really like the clock. And the bougiest one was County Arcade. That was absolutely beautiful in there. But have we missed any people of Leads? Are there any we were meant to see that we haven’t seen? Cuz maybe our favorite one’s still out there. It’s a good excuse to come back. [Music] And here we are. We’ve made it to Kurt Gate Market where we’re hopefully going to get some really good food. But before we go in, something that’s really surprised me about Leeds is all of the incredible architecture. Yes, there is so much. I mean, the street we just walked down, I was like, “Oh, yeah. There’s just so much beautiful architecture and incredible buildings just throughout the entire city.” I agree. And they look better in the sunshine. I know. But it’s just such a beautiful city. Yeah. No, I agree. It smells absolutely incredible in here. The challenge now though is to find the thing that smells that good and eat it. Part of it smells like an Indian part is it smells like Thai. I think it’s definitely Asian food. Seek out the Asian food. [Music] Well, it smells a little bit different in this bit. I was just thinking you couldn’t just finish work and go to the pub. You’d have to go and have a shower at least. Kirk Gate Market is one of the largest indoor markets in Europe and has existed on this site since [Music] 1857. We picked up some sourdough from Bluebird Bakery for our dinner, but we were hungry now. We think we have found the source of the good smells. Yes, we found a Thai street food place. I’m looking forward to this. We’ve been craving Thai for quite a while. It’s literally the busiest place in here, which is always a really good sign. It smells incredible. So, we’ve just ordered ourselves some crispy chicken rice box and some crispy chicken won. I’m excited. We’ll show you when it arrives cuz I’m starving. Oh, the food has arrived. This crispy chicken and rice looks amazing. That is a lot of chicken wontons as well. We are not going to be hungry after this. No, we’re not. Also, I’ve just learned I do like green curry. Yeah, Cara’s got green curry which looked really good as well, but we didn’t know if it would be too spicy for Josh because it had two chilies on the menu and he was a little bit paranoid. Oh, I’m a little bit jealous of me. Anyway, uh I didn’t even take a picture. Oh, have you not? Go on. Take your take your picture. Whoopsie. As I was saying, wanton. Cheers. Cheers. Well, as you can see, this place is uh JJ Extra approved. That was banging. Banging. Banging. You don’t say that. So, now we’ve had food. We’re going to go and get a drink at Whitlock’s Ale House, which is the oldest pub in Leeds. And we very easily could have missed this had Karen not noticed it because it’s just tucked down a weird little street in between two shops. Not going to lie, you both were saying, “Oh, there it is.” And I’m still sitting there going, “Where?” But I can see the sign. There’s a little walkway there. and Cara’s filming up the street, so it gives it away for us. Thank you for finding this because we’d have probably walked straight past. [Music] And what do you drink when you’re in the oldest pub in Leeds, Ireland’s finest Guinness? Zero. I mean, cuz I’ve got to drive. So, Why the hell not? Why not? Cheers to leads. Cheers. Cara is keeping it very Le’s though with a Kirkto pale out. So, uh, you’re you’re holding up the local vibes. [Music] So, we’ve come into the Leeds Corn Exchange. This was originally a corn exchange erected in the 1800s, and it’s another one of Leeds’s very impressive buildings, both from the outside and the inside. But now it’s not home to a corn exchange anymore. It’s home to a load of different independent retailers, eeries, and things. And we’re just going to have a little bit of a wonder explore cuz it looks like there’s some really cool, quirky shops around [Music] here. We’ve spent a good time at Giant Kitten now, laughing at some of the cards. One of my particular favorites is this little beauty down here. Whatever may be going on in that card, no comment. Giant kitten is the shop that keeps on giving. Cara has just found this for Josh. I mean, I bet it’s it’s more than half the price of the one I do actually want. $28.99. That’s not that bad, is it? What’s Titanic music they’re playing? I don’t know. Very dramatic. It is very dramatic and so is that shirt. I like it. You can have the pigeon one. Pigeon. Why do I just need one for now? You can have a red panda. There you go. Oh, wouldn’t we look great walking through the streets of Leeds in one of those each? I would feel pretty fancy. Or maybe we should all get a cardigan and a pigeon mask each. Would fit right in. They’re not wearing any underwear. They’re also playing some really unusual music. I think it it’s the kind of music that echoes with the building, but it’s got a vibe about it here. I like it. It’s bustling. Yeah. But in a good way. Yes. Hold that up. Yep. I think that one suits you. This shop is amazing. [Laughter] Okay. Is there a better type of greeting card than a Yorkshire greeting card? Particularly one that says something like chuffy owl has dropped a sprog. What a great way of saying congratulations on your new baby. [Music] [Music] After spending only a day in Leeds, we knew we had totally underestimated this city. And we’ll definitely be back. But until then, why not click the video on screen now to join us as we explore another one of Yorkshire’s incredible cities, the beautiful city of York.