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This Leeds hamlet has been voted one of the top villages in the UK
The Sunday Times said Thorner "has it all", noting the hamlet's visiting fish-and-chip van, friendly pub and Post Box deli's charming Secret Garden café
A hamlet just outside of Leeds has been voted one of the top villages in the UK in a new list released by The Sunday Times.
The paper's list, titled "The 50 best villages in the UK", collates some of the most popular villages across the country and features a total of seven different locations in Yorkshire.
Put together in no particular order, each village has been included as a cut above the rest for "having it all" - which the paper defines as the following: attractive houses, good connections, a decent school and friendly neighbours who come together at the pub, shop and village hall.
The Post Box Deli's Secret Garden Cafe in Thorner gets an honorary mention / Image: The Post Box Deli
A selection of brunch dishes at The Post Box, including Blue Bird Bakery Yorkshire sourdough topped with peanut butter and banana / Image: The Post Box Deli
The village representing Leeds is rural hamlet Thorner, which is located between Seacroft and Wetherby. Sitting to the north-east of the city.
Boasting archaeological evidence of Bronze Age and Anglo-Saxon settlements, Thorner's historical significance was just one of the things that made the gorgeous country hamlet stand out.
"Happily you can’t hear the traffic, or smell it — the aromas are all woodsmoke in winter, freshly mown grass in summer and sheep all year round," they write romantically.
Thorner's main street features an idyllic row of stone cotages / Image: Betty Longbottom via Geograph
"St Peter’s Church looms over the wide main street, once used for markets and now home to a GP and a useful set of amenities."
Describing the little village as "properly old-fashioned," they continued to say it "may look rural, but it’s so close to Leeds you can almost touch the ring road, before going on to name a number of charming little independent businesses in Thorner.
St Peter's Church in Thorner / Image: Wikipedia
These include the Fox, a friendly local pub with a Monday night quiz; the Post Box deli with its tea rooms and Secret Garden café; Indian restaurant Maisha Spice; and a visiting fish-and-chip van.
Further features that made Thorner stand out, according to The Times, were its cricket and tennis clubs which "keep sporty types occupied" and the village's "thoughtful" ThornerCares mutual aid support group, which was set up to help people affected by Covid.
At 8.5 miles away from Leeds city centre, the nearest station is Leeds Cross Gates (4.5 miles from the village) and the average house price is £414,493.
Get ready to enjoy a taste of the Caribbean as Jerk Junction is coming to Leeds.
The street food favourite has made waves in the foodie scene over in Manchester and Liverpool, so it's only right that its making its way into Trinity Kitchen.
Jerk Junction specialises in authentic Caribbean flavours, from dumplings and jerk chicken to curried goat and rice and peas, it's all flame-grilled and packed with island spices.
Gosh, we're suddenly feeling very hungry.
Image: The Manc Group
Jerk Junction will officially be opening to the public from 12pm on Tuesday 12 May 2026, and you can bet we'll be first in line to get our hands on a big tray of jerk chicken and rice.
Josie Towning, Food and Beverage Manager at Trinity Leeds, said: “There’s been a lot of interest in the upcoming arrival of Jerk Junction since it was announced. Bringing a taste of the Caribbean to Trinity Kitchen, it’ll be the place to be when it opens its doors next week.”
Jake Shaffi, founder at Jerk Junction, said: “We’re all about good vibes and creating dishes that help bring people together. We’re looking forward to bringing the Jerk Junction spirit to Trinity Kitchen. The brand already holds a special place within the communities in Manchester and Liverpool – and we’re sure the people of Leeds will embrace it in the same way.”
The latest announcement follows the recent launches of schuh and LEGO at Trinity Leeds, which will also welcome the UK’s largest independent boutique bowling brand, Lane7, and Footasylum later this year.
Leeds Jazz Festival returns to the city this month complete with best lineup yet
Clementine Hall
The 2026 edition of the Leeds Jazz Festival is here, and it's set to be bigger and better than ever before.
If you're a lover of jazz, then you're going to want to keep reading.
Now in its fifth year, Leeds Jazz Festival showcases the best of local, national, and international music through gigs, screenings, DJs, talks and more.
The festival is set to take place across the city from Thursday 21 to Tuesday 26 May 2026, making it the perfect event to enjoy across the bank holiday weekend.
Image: Supplied
Kicking the festival off is Submotion Orchestra, a boundary-pushing musical collective originally formed in Leeds who will be making their return to The Wardrobe for a very special gig.
Over in Chapel Allerton, Jazz Leeds will bring Donovan Haffner to Seven Arts, fresh from his wins for "Jazz Newcomer of the Year" at the UK Parliamentary Jazz Awards and "UK Breakthrough Act" at the 2026 JazzFM Awards.
Leeds Jazz Festival legend DJ Lubi has curated a fantastic night of live Cuban music, alongside a Cuban dance class and a DJ after-party at Howard Assembly Room.
Image: Supplied
Elsewhere at The Domino Club there'll be a whole host of different events taking place, including Three or Four Shades of Mingus, Alligator Gumbo, and two special shows celebrating the 100th birthday of jazz icon Miles Davis.
For more laid-back chill vibes on Bank Holiday Monday, Mercury Music Prize-nominated pianist Kit Downes will play an intimate performance in the stunning acoustics of Mill Hill Chapel. Now that is something not to be missed.
For full details on the lineup as well as information on free activities as well as ticketed gigs, visit the Leeds Jazz Festival website.
Georgina Pellant -
13th September 2021 
