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Kirkstall Abbey to charge non-Leeds residents £5 entry fee
Some families have vowed to 'boycott' the abbey over the news
For the first time ever, Kirkstall Abbey has announced it will be charging tourists an entry free.
Out-of-town visitors to the 12th-century monastery will be asked to pay £5 to gain admittance as the cash-strapped council looks for new ways to raise funds.
Kirkstall Abbey is a hugely popular tourist attraction for those who live close to Leeds, and it's expected that the charge could raise an additional £160,000 for the council
Admission for local residents, meanwhile, will continue to be free - with Loiners now being asked to provide proof of address with them when they visit.
Read more: Kirkstall Abbey claps back at review that complains it has “no roof”
The council has been told it needs to save £64.5m next year but has promised to put some of the funds raised back into the 870-year-old site.
Plans for improvement at Kirkstall Abbey include a new on-site cafe and new audio tours, which the new fees will help pay for.
Leeds city council deputy leader Jonathan Pryor said that Kirkstall Abbey was a "treasured part of the city's heritage" and that the council's finances had required it to come up with "innovative and creative ways" to protect the site.
He added that the council had "consulted broadly with the public both in and out of Leeds".
However, some families have vowed to 'boycott' the abbey over the news that an admission fee will be charged.
Initially, the fee was going to be set at £8 but following consultations that showed it to be unpopular it was dropped to £5 instead.
The abbey was first built by monks in 1152 on gifted land and was used as a residence until the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539.
Today it might appear as a ruin, leading one visitor to complain last summer that it 'has no roof', but in spite of this it is still considered to be one of the most complete Cistercian monasteries in Britain.
Feature image – Tim Green
News
New BBC TV drama starring Bel Powley and Harley Squires to be filmed in Leeds this spring
Clementine Hall
The BBC has announced a brand-new crime drama set to be filmed in Leeds and Hull.
We all love a BBC drama, and luckily for us one is about to be filmed right here in Leeds.
The new drama will be titled Shy & Lola, starring Harley Squires from The Night Manager and Bel Powley from The Diary of A Teenage Girl.
The six-part series has been described as a "dark comedy" about two women caught up in a murder in the criminal underworld.
The plot follows an unassuming pair in a small coastal town in northern England where the pair both realise they have a hidden talent for crime.
The series synopsis states: "As they build an operation that threatens to blow the local bad guys out of the water, opposing futures beckon – using their earnings to fund a fresh start, or becoming the new bosses in town."
The show is based on a popular French TV series and is written by Amanda Coe, an acclaimed English screenwriter and novelist.
Amanda Coe spoke about the announcement: "With such a rich and spiky central relationship at its core, Shy & Lola is a dream of a show to write, full of fun, action and emotion. I can't wait to see our hugely exciting cast and director bring it to life."
Rachelle Constant, executive Producer for Clerkenwell Films, said: "Amanda has written a brilliantly bold series centred on a dynamic female duo, which blends dark comedy with propulsive storytelling.We’re thrilled to have Hayley and Bel as our leads, alongside an exceptional cast and crew."
The new series will begin filming in Leeds and Hull this spring and will air on BBC One and iPlayer and we'll absolutely be tuning in.
Read more: Yorkshire actor Robert Aramayo scoops BAFTA alongside other ‘surprise’ northern winners
Featured image - BBC
News
Turnstile to play their only UK headline show this year at Halifax Piece Hall
Clementine Hall
Turnstile will headline the Halifax Piece Hall this summer, their only UK headline show.
The Grammy-winning hardcore group have just announced a very special show at historic venue the Halifax Piece Hall.
As part of the venue's huge summer season, Turnstile will take to the stage on Wednesday 26 August marking a whopping 41 shows at the Piece Hall's calendar so far.
The group pulled huge crowds at Glastonbury festival last year and scooped up two Grammy Awards earlier this month, using their platform to thank fans who "swung in the dark" with them.
Nicky Chance-Thompson MBE DL FRSA, CEO of The Piece Hall Trust, says: “2026 will see Turnstile playing at some of the world’s most iconic festivals and then here in Halifax at UK’s most iconic heritage venue.”
“We always aim to deliver for the full spectrum of music lovers in Calderdale and knowing how passionate our rock and metal community is, this gig will be off the scale – truly unmissable!”
Alongside Turnstile, Halifax Piece Hall will welcome the likes of Hollywood Vampires, Paul Weller, Bowling For Soup, Skunk Anansie, Garbage, Empire of the Sun, Sex Pistols, Mcfly, CMAT and Jimmy Eat World this summer. What a season it's going to be.
Baltimore’s hardcore heroes will head to West Yorkshire to play TK Maxx presents Live at The Piece Hall on Wednesday August 26.
Tickets go on sale this Friday 27 February at 10am, and you can get your tickets here.
Find out more about what's going on at the Halifax Piece Hall this summer here.
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Featured image - Press image
Georgina Pellant -
11th May 2022 
