Leeds Salford Train

The city of Leeds is located in West Yorkshire and is considered by many to be the cultural, financial and commercial centre of West Yorkshire. Historically, Leeds was located in the West Riding of Yorkshire and has grown from a small market town in the valley of the River Aire to become a large urban centre by the middle of the 20th century. During the Industrial Revolution Leeds transformed itself into a major industrial centre which was dominated by the wool and flax industries along with iron foundries and printing.

Leeds has three universities and as a result has one of the largest student populations in the UK. It is also second largest legal centre in the United Kingdom, after London. Leeds has extensive shopping opportunities for visitors including the indoor shopping centres of the Merrion Centre, St. John's Centre, The Core, the Victoria Quarter, The Light, the Corn Exchange and Trinity Leeds.

Leeds is home to the Grand Theatre where Opera North is based. The theatre has 1,500 seats and has recently undergone a £31.5m refurbishment. The City Varieties Music Hall, which hosted performances by Charlie Chaplin and Harry Houdini and was also the venue of the BBC television programme The Good Old Days, and West Yorkshire Playhouse. Just south of Leeds Bridge once stood The Theatre which hosted Sarah Siddons and Ching Lau Lauro in 1786 and 1834 respectively.

Salford, located in the north west of England, has a secret that many visitors don't realise - 60% of the city is green space! The city has three green flag parks, five local nature reserves and over 20 public parks, all of which offer visitors plenty of things to do and see. You can explore one of the beautiful country parks such as Clifton Country Park's meadows, play hide and seek in Worsley Woods, take a leisurely stroll at Blackleach Country Park, or enjoy a brass band concert with an ice cream in the summer at Victoria Park. If you prefer a more wild approach, try some real wilderness at Chat Moss. If you are looking for a taste of Salford's past, visit Ordsall Hall which is a formerly moated Tudor mansion, the oldest parts of which were built during the 15th century. The mansion is located in the Ordsall area of Salford and was the family seat of the Radclyffe family, who lived in the house for more than 300 years. The hall was the setting for William Harrison Ainsworth's 1842 novel Guy Fawkes, written around the plausible although unsubstantiated local story that the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 was planned in the house.