Temple Newsam's Home Farm will gain a new indoor play centre for children after plans to convert an old cow byre have been approved.
The new development will see two new play areas developed, a comfy café offering drinks and light meals, as well as space for a shop area.
The cow byres will be converted into a play area by the end of the year. / Image: Leeds City Council
Due to open in late autumn, the new development will have two play areas, one in the original milking parlour, suitable for up to 12 year-olds, and the second area for toddlers which will be situated in a purpose built extension to the rear yard.
Both areas will take inspiration from the farm and the park bringing the great outdoors inside- a fitting proposal to match the child-friendly Temple Newsam grounds.
The cow byre and its surrounding buildings have a fascinating history. Built over 100 years ago, the buildings were used as a milking parlour to provide clean tuberculin-tested milk to the hospitals in Leeds.
The building and production systems were state of the art for their time and by the 1940s, had Shorthorn cows producing over 70,000 gallons of milk each year.
There's still cows at Temple Newsam, over at Home Farm. / Image: Temple Newsam
The council ceased dairy farming in 1968 and after that time the building had various other uses including being a vehicle depot for the council’s parks department and even being home to West Yorkshire Police’s stables in the 1970’s.
During this time, multiple alterations to the building and some of the original fixtures and fittings, including the magnificent-looking ventilation turrets, had fallen into disrepair so it has become apparent that urgent repairs are going to be needed.
The plans for the cow byre will not only provide the building with a new purpose, but one that will respect its original design and history.
Image: Temple Newsam
Public consultation revealed that visitors were keen that Home Farm should have more indoor facilities so that they could visit at all times of the year and from this the idea, the ‘Playbarn’ was developed. Given the wet weather this half term, this is something we can certainly appreciate.
Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s executive member for public health and active lifestyles said:
“I am so pleased to see that this fascinating old building will be given a new lease of life offering families a place to come along and enjoy for many years to come. Creating more indoor space for people to enjoy at Home Farm was a key finding from a public consultation we did last year so we are excited to move this project forward and deliver on this commitment.
Singer-songwriter Myles Smith has just announced his biggest headline tour and is set to play a huge arena gig in Leeds this year.
Quit ‘Stargazing’ and get ready to fight for tickets as Myles Smith has just announced he’ll be visiting Leeds later this year for his biggest arena gig to date.
Known for hits like ‘Nice To Meet You’, ‘Stay (If You Wanna Dance)’ and ‘Wait For You’, this BRIT School graduate is now heading on the road for some headline shows across the UK.
Recognised for his folk-pop sound, Smith has built quite a name for himself just three or so years into his career, with solo efforts and a few collaborations under his belt.
Myles Smith is heading to First Direct Bank Arena, Leeds, on tour this year / Credit: Press shots (supplied)
Recently, the Luton-born artist collaborated with some well-known names like Shaboozey on their track ‘Blink Twice’ and even features on a new single from former One Direction member Niall Horan titled ‘Drive Safe’.
It was only last year that the ‘Stargazing’ songwriter visited Leeds, bringing his high-energy hits to O2 Academy back in February.
Now, Smith is ready to tackle an arena crowd and has chosen Leeds First Direct Bank Arena and is expected to raise the roof when 13,500 fans flock to the star’s show this winter.
Titled after his upcoming album My Mess, My Life, My Heart, Smith will be playing a variety of well-known and brand new hits when he makes his way up North.
Fans who are signed up to the official artist presale can get exclusive access to tickets from Wednesday, 25 March at 10am, with the window closing on Friday, 27 March at 9am.
Meanwhile, general admission tickets go live by 10 am that same Friday (27 Mar).
Myles Smith is embarking on his ‘My Mess, My Life, My Heart’ tour this winter and visiting First Direct Bank Arena, Leeds on Sunday 8 November – tickets and more info HERE.
Leeds city centre crowned one of the best places to live in the north by The Sunday Times
Clementine Hall
Today, Leeds city centre earned itself a coveted spot in the annual Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide.
What brilliant news to end the week on, hey?
Leeds city centre was amongst eight other locations across the north and the north east to be featured on the list.
The market town of Skipton took home the dazzling first prize, but it's still nice to be included isn't it.
Here's what the judges had to say about Leeds city centre: “Leeds has five universities, the fourth largest urban economy in the UK (with job opportunities in finance, insurance and big business), a youthful vibe and a relatively affordable average house price (£285,100).
Image: Unsplash
“Stay close to the centre, where you won’t have to worry about the patchy public transport, and it all adds up to a fun-filled, fulfilled life within walking distance of stylish shops, cafés, bars and restaurants. There’s a good choice of riverside homes, where you may spot kingfishers and otters, and even the schools are good.”
In total, 72 places across the UK were selected by The Sunday Times to showcase the very best of Britain, with Norwich named the overall national winner.
The full list of locations in the north and northeast include:
Skipton
Howardian Hills, North Yorkshire
Leeds city centre
Morpeth, Northumberland
Newcastle: Gosforth
Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire
Slaithwaite, West Yorkshire
York
Helen Davies, editorial projects director and Best Places to Live editor, said: “This guide is a great opportunity to highlight the best places in Britain.
“It is full of places that show that our village, town and city centres can still be full of life, as well as places bursting with natural beauty, culture, connectivity and most importantly a sense of community.
“Our expert team of judges visit every location on the list and talk to the locals to find out what they love about the place they live."
Sophie Smith -
25th February 2022 
