2017 UK Trip: 02 Leeds, England - The Knightsbridge of the North...

“I have wandered all my life, and I have also traveled; the difference between the two being this, that we wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment...” – Hilaire Belloc

(One of the oldest visitor attractions in the country

Date: 7 May 2017 (Sunday)

Route: Cambridge - Leeds

Distance: 156 miles (3 hr 20 min)

Hotel: Travelodge Leeds Morley Hotel (£36) 

(Light traffic on the highway)

From Cambridge we drove on M18 towards Leeds with a short break for lunch on the way.

Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. Historically in Yorkshire's West Riding, the history of Leeds can be traced to the 5th century when the name referred to a wooded area of the Kingdom of Elmet.

(An interesting drawing at the back of a lorry)

(Using the GPS and signages for directions)

The name Leeds has been applied to many administrative entities over the centuries. It changed from being the appellation of a small manorial borough in the 13th century, through several incarnations, to being the name attached to the present metropolitan borough. In the 17th and 18th centuries Leeds became a major centre for the production and trading of wool.

(Typical terrace houses in Leeds)

(Looking for our lodging in the suburb)

We had the opportunity to performed our prayers in Leeds Grand Mosque and met with the Muslim community.

Leeds Grand Mosque is with a Friday congregation of 1,500. The mosque has a diverse and ethnically mixed congregation with facilities for both male and female worshippers. The Friday prayer sermon is delivered in English and Arabic.

The mosque was originally Sacred Heart Church completed in 1965 and described as one of the most striking churches to be built in the 1960s. The design is Brutalist based on a concrete frame clad with pre-cast panels of Cornish granite aggregate. It closed in 1993 and was sold and converted in 1994, with funding from Saif Bin Muhammad Al-Nehayyan of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The chancel was converted into a smaller worship hall used on weekdays, and a women's gallery was constructed at the rear of the main hall, later augmented by converting the choir gallery into a second women's gallery. The stained glass window and obvious Christian symbols were removed, and facilities for wudu installed.

(The prayers time)

(The main prayer hall)

(The mimbar)

(We performed the jama' solat here)

(The back entrance of the Grand Mosque)

Another attraction visited was the Royal Armouries Museum.

The Royal Armouries Museum is a national museum which displays the National Collection of Arms and Armour. It is part of the Royal Armouries family of museums, the other sites being the Tower of London. The Royal Armouries Museum is located in Leeds Dock that opened in 1996. Its collection was previously on display or in storage at the Tower of London where the Royal Armouries still maintains a presence and displays in the White Tower. As at all UK National Museums, entry is free, though certain extra attractions are charged for.

(A collection of about 75,000 items)

(Armour is not just made from iron and steel)

Our lodging for tonight was at Travelodge Leeds Morley Hotel quite a distance from the city centre.

(Travelodge Morley Hotel, Leeds)

     2017 UK: 03 Gateshead, England👉

👈2017 UK: 01 Cambridge, England