Leeds Cathedral

Leeds Cathedral tickets: which one to buy

Leeds Cathedral, the Cathedral Church of Saint Anne, stands on Great George Street in the centre of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, near the Town Hall and the Victoria Quarter, and entry is free. It is the Catholic cathedral of the Diocese of Leeds, and it is known for its Arts and Crafts architecture and its excellent music, with a renowned choir. The cathedral is a short walk from Leeds railway station.

Visitors often combine it with the Leeds Art Gallery, the Henry Moore Institute, the Victorian arcades of the Victoria Quarter, the Corn Exchange, Kirkgate Market and the Royal Armouries museum on the waterfront. Leeds is about two hours from London by train and a gateway to the Yorkshire Dales. The cathedral is active, with daily services, and choral evensong and concerts are held regularly. The cathedral's music programme is listed on its website, including evensong times.

Visiting Leeds Cathedral: what to see

The cathedral was built between 1902 and 1904, designed by John Henry Eastwood with Sydney Kyffin Greenslade, to replace an older church demolished for road widening. It was built in the Gothic Revival style, influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement, with a tower and a stone exterior. Inside, the cathedral has a spacious nave, a reredos in the Lady Chapel designed by Augustus Pugin for the earlier church, stained glass windows and carved stonework. A major restoration in 2006, which cost millions of pounds, brightened the interior and added new decoration, including a new floor and lighting. The cathedral's choir, one of the best in the country, includes boys', girls' and adult choirs, and it tours internationally.

The cathedral's organ was also restored. The tower holds a peal of bells. The cathedral's Lady Chapel holds a carved altar and stained glass. The Blessed Sacrament Chapel has a gilded tabernacle. The windows include a series showing saints of Yorkshire. The cathedral's stonework includes carved angels and saints. The organ, restored in recent years, is played for concerts. The cathedral's baptismal font is carved in marble. The Stations of the Cross are carved in stone. The cathedral hosts exhibitions and events. The restoration added bright colours to the ceiling and a new altar area. The bell tower rises above the city streets. The cathedral holds memorials to the soldiers of the First World War.

Leeds Cathedral opening hours and the best time to go

The cathedral is open daily. Leeds is a lively city all year, with a large student population. The Leeds Festival, a major rock music festival, takes place in August in Bramham Park outside the city. Christmas brings a German market to Millennium Square and carol services at the cathedral. Yorkshire's weather is often rainy, so the cathedral and museums make good indoor stops. Allow about twenty minutes for the cathedral, and stay for choral evensong if possible, then walk to the Victoria Quarter arcades. Kirkgate Market, one of the largest covered markets in Europe, is about ten minutes' walk east.