CHASING PAVEMENTS

Fire up your imagination and overload on culture with a vibrant city break in the UK

Ruth Greatrex
Claire Frost
Emma Ledger

Published: 0:01, 6 Mar 2022
Updated: 9:38, 15 Mar 2022

Leeds

CONTRIBUTING Picture Editor Ruth Greatrex lived it up in this northern powerhouse.

THE PAD: After a majestic £16million makeover, The Queens Hotel – a Leeds landmark since 1937 – has been brought bang up to date.

After a majestic £16million makeover, The Queens Hotel – a Leeds landmark since 1937 – has been brought bang up to date

) or pick up an ultra-cool print from On The Wall (). There’s a world of art in the heart of the city.

Leeds Art Gallery is home to a diverse collection of contemporary artists, including Leeds’ own Damien Hirst (), and the unmissable Henry Moore Institute is next door (). Admission to both is free.

REFUEL: The Grand Pacific is the hotel’s opulent dining room, with a menu that mixes far-flung flavours and British classics. We loved salt-baked beetroot with whipped goat’s cheese, £6.50, and salmon in a Thai red curry broth, £17.95.

For something more laid-back, Friends of Ham is the perfect pit-stop for lovers of good beer, local cheeses and meats. The pork pie with chilli jam, £4, is the ideal hangover cure ().

DON’T MISS: Keep your eyes peeled for colourful street art, including portraits of football legends, throughout the city ().

). Travel by train from London King’s Cross to Leeds from £48 return with LNER ().

Bristol

Assistant Editor Claire Frost and partner Steve walked in the footsteps of Banksy and Brunel.

). Then head to the Harbourside to get acquainted with one of history’s most famous engineers, Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Take a tour on the SS Great Britain and learn how he changed the way ships were made forever.

Tickets cost £19.50 per adult and you can visit as many times as you like in a year (). If shopping’s your thing, hit up Cabot Circus for high-end high-street names, or wander into Clifton Village for independent boutiques.

REFUEL: The hotel’s Goram & Vincent restaurant serves up hearty grills and steaks – we liked the lamb kofta, £19.50. Or hit nearby The Coconut Tree for a selection of Sri Lankan street food, from super-tasty (and spicy!) goat curry, £8, to the savoury pancake “hopper”, £3.75 ().

). Then come evening, search out Milk Thistle behind an unassuming door in the centre of town for cool cocktails ().

DON’T MISS: The free M Shed museum offers up a great interactive walk through the city’s history, plus it’s hosting the awe-inspiring Wildlife Photographer Of The Year exhibition, £7, until June ().

BOOK IT: Double rooms at the Avon Gorge by Hotel du Vin cost from £147 B&B (). Plan your stay at .

London

Acting Lifestyle Editor Emma Ledger, boyfriend Alex and two-year-old Annie made capital gains.

) and Shakespeare’s Globe (), so find out what shows are on during your stay, tickets from £5.

The best way to see London is from the river. Board the Uber Boat by Thames Clippers at Blackfriars pier and sail west – use your bank card to tap in or buy an adult all-day ticket, £18.40, or £9.20 for kids ().

Hop off at Battersea Power Station to explore new riverside neighbourhood, Circus West Village. It’s packed with bars, restaurants, shops, gyms, crazy golf, a virtual reality arcade, cinemas, theatres and year-round family-friendly events.

REFUEL: Make like you’re on Made In Chelsea and have a deep and meaningful while strolling the 10 minutes east from your hotel along the Thames to foodie mecca Borough Market ().

), before gawping at all the beaut global food stalls.

Leeds

Most read in Travel

Bristol

London

READ MORE SUN STORIES

We pay for your stories!