Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
The Best Things about Yorkshire
Hi, I'm Molly. I want to show you the reasons Yorkshire is so great, and give you some ideas for days out here.
Why Yorkshire is great
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The history
Yorkshire is full of historic buildings, museums and historical sites such as the Fountains Abbey or Whitby Abbey. It doesn’t matter if you’re interested in modern or ancient history, there’s something in the local area for you to explore. For example, in York, there’s still loads of history relating to the Viking invasion which was over a thousand years ago. You can even go to JORVIK Viking centre and experience what life was like back then.
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The food
And by that I mean Yorkshire puddings of course!!! In the Light on the Headrow, there’s a restaurant that does a Yorkshire pudding based starter, main and dessert. Where else could you eat that? Yorkshire is also home to some of the UK’s finest restaurants and places to eat – take a look on websites such as Trip Advisor to see where to go.
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The scenery
Yorkshire is very well known for its beautiful landscapes. The Yorkshire Dales is home to nearly 1,800 square kilometres of the best scenery in the UK – including Aysgarth falls and Ingleborough.
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The cities
Hull, Sheffield and York are all really easy to get to from Leeds – each having direct trains, or even coaches if you’re watching the pennies. They all have their own distinct vibe, and are all home to great nightlife and so many places to explore if you fancy a different day or night out.
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The city of Leeds
Leeds has to get a special mention in any review of Yorkshire. It is now the third largest city in the UK, and the biggest financial capital outside of London. It does feel a little like London, but on a smaller and friendlier scale. It’s also home to some of the best universities too of course, meaning so much of the city is geared towards students, which is always good!
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The beaches
Whitby sea front is well worth a visit anytime of the year. Its long sandy coasts are beautiful and it’s a great, picturesque seaside resort.
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The accent
There are some odd accents across the UK, and the Yorkshire one is no exception! There’s definitely some words and ways of speaking you’ll have to learn if you come live in Yorkshire. The letter ’T’ simply does not exist to a Yorkshire person, but in my opinion this quirkiness is one of the things that makes Yorkshire so great!
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The sport
Yorkshire is home to some great sports and some very successful teams, like Leeds Rhinos and Leeds United. The world’s very first football club was formed in Yorkshire - Sheffield FC, formed on 24th October 1857.
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The family friendliness
There are plenty of family focussed days out, theme parks and playgrounds around Yorkshire, including: Digger Land, Flamingo Land and the Magna Science Museum.
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The inspiring people
Yorkshire-based athletes including the Brownlee brothers, Nicola Adams and Max Whitlock won a fifth of Team GB’s gold and silver medals, and a quarter of the entire country’s bronze medal haul at the last Olympics. Were it a country, Yorkshire would’ve finished 17th on the medal table. Clearly there’s something inspiring about Yorkshire – so come and soak it up.
The best things to do here
Now you know why it’s so great, here are my ideas for where I’d go first if I were visiting:
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Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden
These are the remains of the Abbey which was built back in 1132. This can be found in North Yorkshire and is worth the visit in the sunshine.
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Henry Moore Institute
This sculpture exhibition in Leeds has attracted thousands from around the UK, and it’s free to visit.
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The Deep
This aquarium in East Yorkshire is a great day out. It has sharks, penguins and tunnels giving you 360 degree views of the aquamarine life.
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York Minster
This is a must and is right on Leeds’ doorstep. Its history and architecture is fascinating, and you can have a full day out in York while you’re there.
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Yorkshire wildlife park
Go along and see all of the animals at the wildlife park – they have polar bears, lions and tigers as well as many others.
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Kirkstall Abbey
It’s one of the most complete examples of a medieval abbey in Britain, and that alone should convince you that Kirkstall Abbey is one of Yorkshire’s top attractions. There are parks nearby too, perfect for picnics.
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Yorkshire Sculpture park
This sculpture park in Wakefield is stretched over 50 acres to show the work of many artists. The mix of contemporary, modern and traditional art makes it something for everyone and it’s fab to visit on a sunny day.
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York dungeon
You’ll be treated to 12 different shows as you make your way through the dark corridors of the dungeons, delving into 2,000 years of history with a scary but funny twist.