Hidden gems in Yorkshire: Lesser known attractions to visit in and around Leeds including a ‘hidden’ gin bar and a secret garden

Yorkshire has plenty of places to explore for people with varying interests, whether you’d like to learn more about the region’s history, enjoy a drink with friends at a bar or soak up nature at one of the many gardens and reserves.

Hidden gems to visit in and around Leeds

The Gin Garden at The New Ellington

This gin bar has been described by visitors as a ‘hidden gem’.

The bar is situated within a modern boutique hotel with 35 bedrooms and it is named after Duke Ellington, who played the city’s 1958 music festival.

With just 47 reviews on TripAdvisor, The Gin Garden has a rating of four and a half stars.

Gotts Park Mansion and Golf Club

Gotts Park Mansion, formerly known as Armley House, is a Grade II listed country house in Armley Park.

It used to be the residence of industrialist Benjamin Gott and is now owned by Gotts Park Golf Club.

The mansion was built in 1781 for Leeds merchant Thomas Woolrick and Benjamin, who was a wealthy mill-owner at the time, first leased the mansion then bought it in 1812. His family lived in the mansion until the 1900s.

In 1904 the mansion was used as a TB hospital during the First World War and was renamed The Leeds Hospital for Consumptives.

With only 19 reviews on TripAdvisor, the golf club has a rating of four stars.

The Hollies Leeds

This woodland is 30 acres in size and has a waterway with plenty to discover.

Dubbed a ‘hidden treasure’ and ‘hidden gem’ by visitors and the owners of the gardens, this place is a unique green space in Leeds.

It lies on the west bank of Meanwood Beck, between Weetwood Mill Lane and Leeds Outer Ring Road.

The Hollies has a rating of five stars on TripAdvisor with 13 reviews.

York Gate Garden

York Gate is a one-acre garden by the Spencer family between 1951 and 1994.

The garden was created and nurtured by Frederick and Sybil Spencer with their son Robin and is now considered one of the finest small gardens in the UK.

It has been recognised by TripAdvisor as 2022 Travellers’ Choice award winner where it was placed in the top 10 per cent of attractions worldwide.

York Gate Garden has a rating of four and a half stars with 180 reviews.

Rodley Nature Reserve

The reserve is unique to most wetland reserves as they were all dug out from scratch from rough grassland close to the River Aire.

It is nestled in the Aire valley, a vital flyway for migrating birds.

The reserve has 128 reviews on TripAdvisor and a rating of four and a half stars.