The Manor House, Lindley, is ideally placed for a visit to some of Yorkshire’s (if not the UK’s) most interesting and immersive cultural venues. Set in a charming suburban village within the city of Huddersfield, the Manor House has world-class galleries, living history museums and theatres showcasing the best in live performance, all within a half-hour’s drive.
Check each venue’s website for seasonal shows, opening times and ticketing details.
Yorkshire Sculpture Park, at West Bretton, is a leading international centre for modern and contemporary sculpture, set within an 18th-century estate. The park has at least 100 artworks outdoors and more in six indoor galleries, and is the only place in Europe to see Barbara Hepworth’s acclaimed The Family of Man series in its entirety.
Learn more about Hepworth’s influence on 20th-century art at the gallery that bears her name in the city of her birth. The Hepworth Wakefield celebrates modern British and international artists, including Hepworth’s contemporary and friend Henry Moore. The gallery building is something of a modern sculpture itself while, outdoors, visitors can wander through a biodiverse public garden.
More modern art is on show at the Salts Mill in Saltaire, where the works of pop-art icon David Hockney are featured in a permanent exhibition. The former mill building, which produced cloth between 1853 and 1986, is now an art- and design-based business and retail centre and is part of the Saltaire UNESCO World Heritage Site.
No tour of the cultural sites of West Yorkshire would be complete without a stop at the one-time home of the Bronte sisters, who in their young lives produced such notable literary works as Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre. The Bronte Parsonage Museum, set on the edge of the famous moors in the picturesque village of Haworth, recreates the living conditions which shaped the Brontes’ writings.
If it’s live theatre you’re after, then the nearby cities of Bradford and Leeds have a bevy of venues and a rolling calendar of drama, music, dance and comedy. Bradford’s 1400-seat Alhambra and the Leeds Grand Theatre are the premier stages for West End shows touring the north. Comedians favour the Alhambra’s much smaller neighbour, The Studio, or the City Varieties Music Hall in Leeds, while the outstanding acoustics of St George’s Hall, in Bradford city centre, make it the perfect place for classical music.
Where to stay
The luxury Manor House, in Lindley, has 11 individually designed rooms to make you feel right at home after your day-tripping. Enjoy breakfast each morning in The Kitchen and finely crafted meals in The Lantern Room restaurant at night. Book a room online today or phone 01484 504000.
