And it's all thanks to the stops on our Blue Plaque Trail.
Leeds holds a wealth of history, you don't need to tell us that twice. From building the first steam locomotive to bringing the world inventions like Cluedo, housing the UK's last remaining gas-lit cinema and not to mention founding major UK supermarkets...
Thanks to new research from the UK’s largest delivery service, Evri, Leeds has been recognised as one of the most 'heritage rich cities' in England.
The research analysed the amount of heritage plaques in each city across the UK, and naturally with 180 blue plaques around the city, Leeds has been revealed as one of the places with the most.
Placing a respectable fourth place, Leeds only lost out to the likes of Norwich, Liverpool and (unsurprisingly) London, who held the top spot with an incomparable 987 blue plaques.
The top ten cities, according to the study, were as follows:
CITY
NO. OF HERITAGE PLAQUES
London (Incl. Westminster)
987
Liverpool
295
Norwich
260
Leeds
180
Brighton + Hove
151
Coventry
142
York
135
Newcastle Upon Tyne
125
Wolverhampton
98
Birmingham
96
To decipher these numbers, the study counted the number of heritage plaques from official sources of every city across the UK, such as civic society websites and city council websites. Where these sources weren’t available, plaques were taken from the website, Open Plaques, which lists every heritage plaque within the city postcode. Duplicates were then emitted and cities were ranked highest to lowest to reveal the ranking.
The study from Evri noted that the original blue plaque scheme started in the capital by English Heritage, placing plaques honouring the likes of actor, Charlie Chaplain, novelist, Charles Dickens and prime minister, Sir Winston Churchill but since then, heritage plaques have been dotted across the country. They're known to highlight historical landmarks and give passersby an insight to the famous faces and historical moments that happened in the same spot they're standing, years ago.
Leeds has a grand total of 180 heritage plaques, honouring the likes of Sir Charles Wilson MP, J R R Tolkien CBE and Leeds Corn Exchange, many of which feature in The Hoot's series Short Stuff, where we uncover some of the best hidden gems in the city, or pay homage to important bulidings, faces and inventions that have made Leeds the cultural city it is today.
To find out more about Leeds blue plaques and see for yourself why Leeds has been named as such a heritage rich city, visit the Leeds Civic Trust website.
Leeds’ matcha scene is about to get a serious upgrade, because MADE, the viral Sheffield favourite, is officially ready to open its second site right in the heart of the city.
Taking over a spot on Lower Briggate, the new café lands on Thursday 30 April, and if its Sheffield success is anything to go by, it'll be pretty popular from day one.
Since launching less than a year ago, MADE has built a loyal following thanks to its aesthetic drinks, inventive flavours and a menu that goes far beyond your standard coffee shop offering.
This pastel-toned, checker-floored, light-filled space brings something genuinely fresh to the table in Leeds.
At its core, MADE specialises in hand-whisked matcha, with a rotating lineup of seasonal specials that are as photogenic as they are drinkable. Think strawberry shortcake matcha, sticky date lattes, and the much-hyped banana bread matcha that’s already gained a cult following over in Sheffield.
Alongside that, you’ll find iced coffees, 'split cups' for indecisive sippers, and smoothies inspired by the cult-favourite Erewhon.
Acai bowls at MADE in LeedsInside the new MADE in LeedsMatcha at MADE Leeds
MADE is also serving up generous açaí bowls, fresh sandwiches (including their popular tuna-cado option), and other grab-and-go bites.
Taking over the former Nice Things unit, the arrival of MADE brings a new energy to Lower Briggate just in time for summer.
And judging by the queues they regularly draw in Sheffield, it’s safe to say Leeds locals are about to become very familiar with that signature green hue.
Yorkshire veterans Shed Seven set for 10th anniversary of Shedcember shows
Danny Jones
Yorkshire-born group, Shed Seven, are set to bring a very special edition of their 'Shedcember' live shows to the likes of Leeds, Sheffield, and more as they celebrate 10 years of the now annual tour.
The beloved British band and alternative rock veterans have been around for more than three and a half decades at this point, and for nearly a third of those, these lads have been putting on regular winter gigs for their loyal fan base.
Having developed a fervent cult following during that time, Shed Seven's dedicated run of November and December dates has become a bit of a phenomenon, and since 2025 was one of their most significant 18-month periods ever, they're toasting recent success at the end of this calendar year.
If you're 'Shed Ed', you'll already know all about this event; if not, get to know...
Announcing this year's 10th anniversary tour - fittingly dubbed 'Shedcember X - alongside a new short film/teaser written and directed by long-serving guitarist, Paul Banks, those who have been listening since the start
Equally, thanks to this would-be trailer, even those who've never been to one of the shows or are yet to fully dive into their discography have had their attention caught.
Focusing on their die-hard crowds who now make sure to attend each Shedcember night, if not every single one of their gigs whenever they come to town, the mini social media movie captures just how passionate their audiences are even after all this time.
Part of the reason that the York-founded outfit has been enjoying somewhat of a resurgence of late is as a result of back-to-back number one albums
Notching the top spot for their A Matter Of Time in January 2024, a whole 29 years on from their maiden release (the longest gap between a debut and a no.1 record in UK history), they then did it again with Liquid Gold, which saw some of their biggest hits remastered and reimagined with orchestral backing.
These two massive and long-overdue moments of recognition arguably deserve a tour all of their own, but we will absolutely take Shedcember X, which will feature a number of shows across the region.
Announcing an extensive run of performances for the de facto festival, the 10th anniversary edition of Shed Seven's - we've also highlighted all of the Northern dates for you.
Sophie Smith -
15th September 2022 
