News

A record-breaking local swimmer and a legendary Leeds Paralympian are among the city’s unsung sporting heroes set to be honoured in series of eye-catching new murals.

Doris Storey, who smashed the record for the 220yds breaststroke in 1938, and Kadeena Cox, who has brought home a remarkable string of Paralympic gold medals in sprinting and cycling, have been chosen by a panel of volunteers to be commemorated in the exciting new arts project.

Two artists – each with their own Leeds connection - will have their ground-breaking works displayed at the city’s art gallery this week.

November will see Leeds Art Gallery launch Stuart Croft: Eternal Return and Silent Echoes Spoken Truths: Curtis Holder, with the exhibitions opening jointly on November 8.

An impressive, brick-by-brick recreation of John Smeaton’s famous Eddystone Lighthouse has gone on display in Leeds alongside the 230-year-old designs which inspired it.

Civil Engineer and railway enthusiast Mark Calvert designed the model and then printed each part on a 3D printer, after an illuminating study into the famed Leeds-born engineer’s original masterwork.

High-tech 3D scans have revealed the intricate inner workings of the world’s oldest model locomotive for the first time in more than 200 years.

Leeds Industrial Museum’s incredible miniature recreation of a pioneering early steam locomotive recently underwent a detailed CT X-Ray survey using sophisticated equipment at the University of Leeds.

A group of young history lovers, who followed in the footsteps of famed Leeds-born engineer John Smeaton, have scooped a top award.

Known as The Young Smeatonians, they brought past and present together, exploring how the work of pioneering engineers like Smeaton influenced the designs of modern toys like Lego and Meccano.

A gigantic mammoth tusk unearthed from a Yorkshire coal mine has been carefully conserved during one of the city’s most unusual clean-up jobs.

The prehistoric appendage was discovered in the former open cast site near Temple Newsam in the late 1960s, more than 38,000 years after the extinct, ice age behemoth it once belonged to died.

Historic relics from Leeds’s very first railway station have helped rediscover the city’s fascinating track record after being unearthed during an archaeological dig.

The remains of the former Marsh Lane station, which opened exactly 190 years ago this week, were revealed during a recently completed excavation carried out in the city centre.

One of the world’s most unique performance spaces will welcome two pianists from Leeds’s twin city for a special performance this weekend.

The spectacular Pianodrome at Leeds City Museum will play host to pianists from Brno, in the Czech Republic this Sunday, September 22 as part of the Leeds International Piano Competition.

The magnificent Pianodrome, the world’s first amphitheatre of its kind made entirely from up-cycled pianos, was visited this week by expert piano tuner John Tordoff, who was at the museum to ensure the Pianodrome was on song ahead of the concert.

Council-run museums and galleries in Leeds have generated a staggering £41.7m for the local economy in the last year, a new report has revealed.

Compiled by Leeds Museums and Galleries, the impressive economic impact report shows the popular visitor attractions have also given a big boost to local jobs as well as supporting businesses and schools.

Three generations inspired by the story of their Suffragette ancestor have been reunited with the stunning wedding dress she wore more than a century ago.

The descendants of Leeds schoolmistress Lily Cathcart travelled to the Leeds Discovery Centre, where they viewed their precious family heirloom, donated to the museum by Lily’s daughters Bessie, Jean and Isabel in the early 1970s.

High tea with a difference was served up by staff up at Temple Newsam House this week as the historic mansion prepares to lift the lid on centuries of secrets below stairs.

Members of the house team donned 19^th century costumes and took to the rooftop to take tea in style, surrounded by breath-taking views of the sprawling estate.

They were launching a new programme of summer events, giving visitors a taste of what life was like for the generations of servants who lived and worked at Temple Newsam over hundreds of years.

After a staggering success for Lotherton’s deer park tours last summer they are back again for 2024, alongside a brand-new VIP penguin experience.

The ‘waddle’ of Humboldt penguins has always been a firm favourite at Lotherton’s conservation zoo Wildlife World, and now visitors can book in for a unique opportunity to see them up-close and personal.