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Throughout our near 100 year history here at Holdsworth’s Removals, royal events have come and gone. And while we are fans of the royals in our removals office and some of our team are avidly looking forward to tomorrow’s wedding of Prince Harry & Meghan Markle, we appreciate that it isn’t for everyone. The wedding has dominated the week’s coverage across the television, radio and social media so its tough to get away if you aren’t looking forward to the royal event of the year.

But if you are looking for something or somewhere to hide away completely then here are our best suggests in the West Yorkshire area. And as an added bonus, they are completely free!

National Science & Media Museum

The once impressive National Media Museum which boasted some mind-blowing exhibitions of film, television and photography, now showcases a superb science section. You will walk away wondering why this museum available for free. The museum, located in Bradford city centre, was also home to the UK’s first IMAX cinema (which is chargeable).

Roundhay Park

One of Europe’s largest urban parks is the ideal getaway when the sun is out. There are huge spaces of grass to sit down for a picnic as well as two lakes to stroll around. The park is ideally located in North Leeds for anyone looking for some peace and quiet.

Kirkstall Abbey

If you live in Leeds then it is likely that you have seen Kirkstall Abbey from the A65. One of Leeds’ most impressive and historic landmarks is completely free to stroll around the intact ruins. The parkland and riverside area that surround are ideal for a wander.

There is also the Abbey House Museum (which is chargeable) across the road for an added extra. It houses a replica Victorian street to explore.

The Hepworth

This modern gallery is as eye-catching as you will find anywhere. Located in the heart of Wakefield, The Hepworth was named as Museum of the Year in 2017. It is the largest purpose built gallery outside of London and showcases many works from contemporary artists from across the world, but most notably rare pieces from Barbara Hepworth, where the museum gets its name.

Everyone at Holdsworth’s Removals are big fans of the Tour de Yorkshire. It could be the action on the roads in amongst the peloton, the climbs and the sprints that grabs the interest but we think the fact that it snakes the streets of God’s Own County that really stokes the interest and love for the event. The Tour de Yorkshire has become a huge event in the region on the back of the incredible success and crowds on show for the Grand Depart of the Tour de France which drew out thousands upon thousands to line Yorkshire’s streets. Since then, the sights , sounds and colours of this event have become an annual celebration with some of the best cyclists in the world coming along – this year Mark Cavendish will experience the event.

Here are some of our favourite locations that the Tour de Yorkshire visits this year.

Stage One: Beverley to Doncaster.

The first stage crosses three different parts of the region, starting in Humberside and finishing in South Yorkshire via the East Riding of Yorkshire. Along the way, the peloton samples some of the fresh sea air by circling around Hornsea on the East Coast before heading towards Pocklington, Goole before its finish in Doncaster town centre.

Stage Two: Barnsley to Ilkley

After leaving Barnsley, the peloton attacks the “Cote de Penistone” before snaking through the highest market town in the country. It circles back south past Barnsley before heading north towards West Yorkshire. The peloton rides straight through some of West Yorkshire’s most recognised market downs such as Pontefract, Castleford, Kippax and Garforth before reaching the rural areas of North Leeds. As the stages reaches its closing stages they pass through cycling mad Otley and Ilkley before reaching the final climb towards the finish line at the Cote de Cow & Calf.

Stage Three: Richmond to Scarborough

Starting in North Yorkshire, the peloton takes in some of the best rural towns that Yorkshire has to offer – Leyburn, Bedale, Northallerton, Thirsk. As they leave Thirsk, all eyes and minds will be on the climb to come, the fearsome Cote de Sutton Bank. After conquering Sutton Bank, there is a an easterly run towards the coast. The cyclists will call in at Filey before turning back north towards the finish on Scarborough’s sea front.

Stage Four: Halifax to Leeds

The stage that starts and finishes in West Yorkshire via North Yorkshire. After leaving Halifax, the peloton heads through Haworth and Bronte Country before reaching the gate to the Yorkshire Dales – Skipton. They will loop around North Yorkshire through Burnsall, Kettlewell,  Masham and Pateley Bridge and then head back south towards more urban surroundings. The tour reaches its final stages in our home town of Leeds, revisiting Otley before working through Horsforth and Kirkstall into Leeds city centre and the finish line.

Visit England is exactly what it says on the tin. It is the official tourist board for England and acts as the first sample of Englishness for potential visitors. Each year it awards the best tourist attractions in the country with five different categories – Welcome, Gold, Hidden Gem, Quality Food & Drink or Best Told Story. There are 86 attractions in the country highlighted by Visit England under these categories and a big chunk of them sit in Yorkshire. Thirteen in total are listed in God’s Own County which makes up an impressive 15% of the list. Here are some of our highlights:

York

Understandably, the North Yorkshire city of York features frequently. Home owners and regular visitors to York will always tell you that the city centre is constantly thriving with tourists wanting to sample some of York’s narrow streets and historic attractions.

But Visit England celebrates three of York’s museums in its Top Attraction’s list. The Jorvik Viking Centre and York Dungeon both feature in the Best Told Story category and rightly so. Both celebrate the history of the city and some of the most famous stories in the area which has recently included a “Return of the Vikings” exhibition at Jorvik and an exhibition on one of York’s most well-known sons, Guy Fawkes, at York Dungeon.

In the Hidden Gem category is the Richard III & Henry VII experience at Micklegate Bar which again looks to capture the story of medieval York under these monarchs.

Harrogate

Harrogate always features prominently in these lists but the two names mentioned aren’t the usual attractions that spring to mind when thinking of the North Yorkshire town but they are worthy entries. First, again in the Best Told Story category, is Ripley Castle and Gardens. Sitting north of Harrogate, Ripley Castle is much loved and really is a “remarkable piece of history”.

Second in Harrogate is RHS Harlow Carr Gardens. Another attraction that is much loved locally, Harlow Carr triumphs in the Gold category for all-round excellence. And as one of only four major Royal Horticultural Society gardens in England, Harlow Carr is a great visit – enough to convince the infamous Betty’s to open a tearoom there.

West Yorkshire

The city of Leeds features once on the list with the imposing and impressive ruins at Kirsktall Abbey included in the Welcome category. Kirkstall Abbey is free to explore and situated just outside the city centre means that it is easily accessible. It is also more than just abbey ruins with the gardens situated on the banks of the River Aire, the Abbey House Museum just across the road, a café and acting as the halfway point on the Kirkstall Abbey 10k Dash.

The National Children’s Museum – Eureka! – in Halifax also features on the list in the Welcome category.

Best of the Rest

Other Yorkshire attractions on the list and the category they featured for were:

Wilberforce House, Hull – Welcome

Captain Cook Memorial Museum, Whitby – Gold

Richmondshire Museum, Richmond – Hidden Gem

Green Howards Museum, Richmond – Hidden Gem

Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery, Hunmanby – Welcome

Yorkshire Wildlife Park, Doncaster – Welcome

Part of Leeds’ bid to become the European Capital of Culture for 2023 included many schemes to celebrate what makes Leeds such a great city. And despite the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union rendering Leeds ineligible to bid for the title of European Capital of Culture, Leeds Council has agreed to stage an independent Leeds 2023 series of events instead.

Amongst the plans for Leeds 2023 was quite a bizarre suggestion. This was to build a lighthouse in the South Bank area of Leeds to celebrate the city’s connections with the arts. This week, the Leeds Lighthouse plans were approved with the local council confirming that an agreement was in place to get the project started with funding coming from local businesses.

The South Bank area of the city is receiving large investment and this will surely become a beacon of that. Many have, understandably, asked the question – “Why does the city of Leeds, a city near enough as far away from the sea as you could wish to be in the UK, need a lighthouse?”. But local businesses seem behind the idea with one supporter saying to the Yorkshire Post.

“The Leeds Lighthouse was one of most eye-catching ideas put forward by the people of Leeds, originally in support of our bid to be European Capital of Culture 2023. It has caught the imagination of a local business leader who is talking to us about funding the entire installation. There has have never been any discussion about council funding being used for this project.

“It will celebrate the iconic designs of the great Leeds Civic Engineer John Smeaton, and incorporate an international programme of light, sound and design commissions. It is just one highlight of a six year cultural programme culminating in 2023.”

It led to the team at Holdsworth’s Removals listing some of our favourite “weird but wonderful” buildings in the city of Leeds which included the following:

• Leeds Corn Exchange
• Leeds City Library
• Broadcasting Place at Leeds Beckett University.
• Roundhay Castle
• Bridgewater Place

The West Yorkshire Urban area is something Holdsworth’s Removals are very familiar with. Throughout the 98 year history of the removal company, the region has grown to become one of the largest and thriving areas of the UK. The urban area refers to the conurbation of Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Huddersfield and Halifax. The 2011 census put the population at almost two million and with the business sector still growing in the area, the transport system is key to its success.

But investment in West Yorkshire’s transport is afoot with large scale projects set to benefit the whole West Yorkshire area.

HS2

Leeds railway station is already one of the country’s busiest railway terminals and is the busiest in the north of England. There is little surprise that the city was chosen as one of the hubs for the High Speed Rail 2 network. The main aim of the scheme is to improve the links of northern cities to London therefore making it easier for business to thrive between the north and south. The Yorkshire link will continue with slower tracks linking to York and Sheffield.

This is exciting news for not only businesses in Leeds but also for home owners as the city expects to continue its boom on the back of HS2’s construction.

Northern Powerhouse Rail Link

Transport for the North has been planning on improving its railways for some time and it was only this week that it made its latest announcement on the scheme. The improvements dubbed the Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) line, has the main aim of establishing a new railway link between all of the main economic centres in the north of England. This would link the West Yorkshire cities of Leeds and Bradford to other major cities such as Manchester, Liverpool, Hull, Sheffield and Newcastle.

Station Improvements

As a result of this ongoing investment, a number of stations in the area will be subject to investment. Leeds station has already seen its brand new southern entrance open in 2017 and it will receive further investment as it prepares for the aforementioned developments. The impressive plans will transform Leeds station into the modern hub that will soon be required of it.

The NPR line will also bring to question the development of railway stations in Bradford with the city reliant on two relatively small stations at Forster Square and Bradford Interchange. The decision will be made as to whether to redevelop on of the existing stations or introduce and out of town parkway station.

As with any removal, knowing what there is to do in your new area is a vital part of the decision. At Holdsworth’s Removals we wanted to help provide some information on our local area where we run removals regularly such as Leeds, West and North Yorkshire as well as providing some information on things to do over the festive period.

If, like us as we close down from Friday 22^nd December to Tuesday 2^nd January, you need some winter activities over the festive period then why not consider some of our favourite winter walks in the local area.

Bolton Abbey

Although you have to pay for parking a car, this Wharfedale location is a must do. The spectacular ruins of the 12^th century monastery are the picture moment of walk but there are many tracks that take snake you through some perfect North Yorkshire terrain. The other highlight is The Strid waterway which forces the River Wharfe through a narrow bottleneck which is seen as the most dangerous stretch of water in the UK. But from afar, this charming location is a fantastic addition to the walk.

Fountains Abbey

A National Trust site near Ripon, North Yorkshire – Fountains Abbey offers something very similar to Bolton Abbey. The monastery ruins are seen as some of the best preserved in England and the Studley Royal Water Garden provides some of the best scenery that Yorkshire has to offer. Fountains Abbey is often brought to life by lighting in the longer nights of winter which add some much needed warmth!

Roundhay Park

One of the biggest urban parks in Europe, Roundhay Park is full of scenic parkland, woodland and gardens within the hustle and bustle of city life in Leeds. With two lakes in the park as well, one featuring fountains and the other, the Waterloo Lake, which was constructed by soldiers who had just returned from the Napoleonic Wars is used for boating and a brilliant walk around its edges.

The Chevin

On the outskirts of Leeds overlooking the market town of Otley is The Chevin. Officially a heathland and woodland with a ridge on its southside, there are multiple paths and tracks snaking up and around its 925 ft summit. It is on many official treks including the Dales Way and the Ebor Way.

Harewood House

North of Leeds on the border of West & North Yorkshire is the stunning stately home of Harewood House. Although the 18^th century house itself is a true hit, there is a well-trodden pathway that circles the house and its grounds. The grounds include great views across lakes, waterways, nature and the recently preserved Harewood Castle. It is a real hit with dog walkers and runners alike.

Choosing a company to store your items can be an arduous process with so many out there. While the safety of the belongings themselves is paramount, there are multiple things to consider when making the call. If you are storing long term or need access to your goods then location, cost and access is usually high up the agenda. But if you are storing during a removal, then convenience is key. Here we suggest some of the reasons why using the removal company you are moving house with for storage works in your favour.

Here Comes the Delivery

Doing a removal via storage is part of the day to day business of a removal company. If there is a delay with the new property or you are moving house via a smaller rental, storage will be vital and your removal company will be able to transport your goods most efficiently via their own store. They can pack the containers on-site and simply keep them safe in their storage facility ready for when your new property is ready. They will be able to plan for when your move-in date is with their own warehouse and removals teams so that everything runs smoothly and efficiently. It avoids too many cooks spoiling the broth!

Keep the Cost Down

If you store with your removal company there is certainly a deal to be made. Removals companies often have the facility to store and these facilities are as safe as a self-storage unit but require less staff as the warehouse is only accessed when containers are being moved. So you could get a better deal while not sacrificing the safety of your items.

One Point of Call

Rather than having to make multiple phone calls to storage centres, van hires or removal companies, if there is an issue or something unfortunate happens with your house move, all you have to do is pick up the phone or write an email to one place. If your removal company is like Holdsworth’s you will have been provided a dedicated point of contact on the team who you will be able to work with throughout the move.

Leeds is one of the fast growing and developing cities in the UK and possibly even Europe. The feel good factor provided by modern developments such as Leeds Trinity and Victoria Gate shopping centres as well as hosting first class events such as the Grand Depart of the Tour de France in 2014.

But being a city always looking to modernise and lead, Leeds has a number of exciting ideas in the pipeline to further its modernisation and enhance its attraction to movers, residents and businesses.

Development

A city can develop in many unseen or unnoticed ways, business might begin to thrive or social scenes might emerge. But nothing is more noticeable than building and property investment on the back of or to improve on this success. A development on Leeds’ Southbank could be the most noticeable of all by standing at over 136m tall. This would include residential use and would stand 24 metres taller than Leeds’ (and Yorkshire’s!) current tallest building – Bridgewater Place.

There is also a £300m mixed-use development planned at Quarry Hill just outside the city centre and a huge commercial property deal at Wellington Place on the back of Leeds being selected as the government’s regional hub.

Transport

Leeds is already the busiest transport centre in the north but satisfaction could. A southern entrance to the railway station was a start to rectifying this but with HS2 on the horizon, plans are afoot to turn Leeds station into the modern hub that it should be. This would include development of the surrounding areas including Leeds Docks, the Dark Arches and City Square.

Speaking of the national rail network benefitting Leeds as a city, a revolutionary transport system moved a step closer to the north of England and Scotland recently when a Liverpool to Glasgow link was selected as part of the Hyperloop development. This is a super-fast method of transport and proposes journey times from Leeds to Manchester of seven minutes. It is still a long, long way off but it’s exciting news!

Regeneration

There is also investment into existing icons of the city. A plan for former Tetley’s Brewey site has recently been approved which aims at developing new homes, office space, leisure space and parkland. It might even include another building to trump Bridgewater Place as Leeds’ tallest building.

The long derelict Hunslet Mill has been the subject of regeneration bids, but plans have been approved the regenerate the riverside site with nearly 700 apartments. The West Yorkshire Playhouse is also the subject of a £13m face lift.

Education

Leeds City College is looking to invest in digital, creative and health education with its new world class £33million campus just outside the city centre. It will also have many state of the art laboratories and recording studios.

Sport

Not only are Leeds United seemingly back on the up on the back of a buyout from Italian businessman Andrea Radrizzani, there are major developments underway at Headingley Stadium. Leeds Rhinos’ historic South Stand is under development and the adjoining cricket and rugby stand is getting a much needed redevelopment as well. This will turn Headingley Rugby Ground into one of the most admired rugby-specific stadiums in the country and enhance Headingley Cricket Ground’s status to hold some of the greatest test matches.

These days there are lots of different ways of defining where the best place to live in the UK is. But one of the most trusted if Propety Week’s Hot Housing Index which focuses on a number of different factors to define the best place to live in the UK. These factors include housing affordability, employment levels, Internet connectivity, local amenities, public transport and a new score for “propensity to move” house.

The 2017 index was released recently and it revealed Edinburgh as the best place to live in the UK beating of competition from the likes of Crewe, Bristol, Aberdeen, Chester and one of our Yorkshire locations, just one of several to feature in the top 50 index. In descending order, here are the Yorkshire locations that featured and why.

Huddersfield (43)

Premier League football delivered by Huddersfield Town hasn’t been enough to stop the town’s slide from its 2016 position of 34. Scoring well for housing affordability, schools and local amenities sees Huddersfield with a score of 61.40% on the index. The area scored poorly for employment levels.

York (20)

The city of York is one of the highest climbers in the index up from its position of 50^th last year. The area scored especially high for propensity to move and for its local amenities with the city centre well stocked as well as out of town retail sites such as at Monks Cross. York was penalised with average scores for affordability, schools and also saw a poor score for Internet connectivity resulting in a score of 63.80%

Beverley (16)

The East Riding of Yorkshire town of Beverey dropped from its 2016 in the top 10 to a still impressive 16^th in this year’s index. Scoring highly for schools and local amenities, it was penalised with low scores for propensity to move and its access to public transport meaning a score of 64.80%.

Leeds (14)

Leeds was one of the major city climbers up to 14^th from 25^th in 2016 becoming the highest ranked city in Yorkshire. An impressive score of 65.90% was due to the highest marks for schools, public transport, propensity move and local amenities. The opening of the Leeds to Bradford train line and the brand new Victoria Gate shopping centre will have helped Leeds’ score. It scored poorly for employment levels.

Harrogate (3)

Often featuring highly in best places to live indexes, Harrogate once again features highly climbing to 3^rd from its 2016 position of 4^th. Its superb score of 68.90% was due to high scores for schools, local amenities and employment. As is well known for Harrogate, it was held back by its affordability but also propensity to move and access to public transport. But Harrogate once again can be proud of featuring towards the top of a “best places to live” list.

Planning a move to one of these sought after locations, or elsewhere in Yorkshire and the UK? Holdsworth’s Removals have almost a century’s worth of experience in house moves and business moves. For a no-obligation quote call 0113 269 0000.

Holdsworth’s Removals Are On The Move

If you have moved home with Holdsworth’s of Leeds before or have paid a visit to our packaging store then you will know that we have been based on Harrogate Road (A61) in Moortown for a number of years.

But we are now delighted to announce that we have today (Tuesday 4th April) moved to a new base further down the A61 closer to Leeds City Centre. Our new premises are in Enterprise House on Education Road which is just off Meanwood Road at the post code LS7 2AL. Our new location is closer to central Leeds and has great links to the Leeds Ring Road and the M1 & M62 motorway network. This means we have great access to the rest of Leeds, across Yorkshire and the North of England and will help us develop further as a removal company.

Despite the change of premises, Holdsworth’s Removals will still aim to provide expert and stress-free removals for customers as we have done for almost a century as well as providing our full range of additional services.