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Your visit to Kirkstall Art Trail
We aim to help you make better-informed decisions before your visit. On this page, you will find information that can help you plan your visit to Kirkstall Art Trail.
We want to make Kirkstall Art Trail as accessible for people as we can. Where everyone feels art is for them, no matter their background.
Visiting Kirkstall Art Trail is free, but there may be a small charge for some of the activities. You will find these marked on the map. You may be able to buy from our exhibitors. There are always plenty of fabulous creative wares to choose from.
To avoid disappointment, we recommend that you carry some cash if you want to buy from the artists. We cannot guarantee that they all accept card payments.
You can find out ‘What’s On’ during the trail on the Event 2025 page.
Getting to Kirkstall
Our location
Kirkstall is a north-west suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire. It is situated on a hill, heading down the valley towards the River Aire. Some of the roads are therefore quite steep, and they are cobbled in places.
It is easily accessible by public transport and by bike.
By bus
Bus numbers 33, 34, 49, 50 and A1 Flyer all stop in Kirkstall. You can plan your journey on the WY Metro website. Look out for the ‘Kirkstall Line’, which is a dark green colour.
By train
There are 2 train stations in Kirkstall, you can plan your journey by train using the WY Metro website. Headingley is the closest, with Kirkstall Forge about 30 minutes walk to the Trail.
By bike
There are many secure bike stands around Kirkstall. These include secure bike parking at Hollybush, Lilac Grove, Kirkstall Abbey, Kirkstall Leisure Centre, and the large retail carparks.
By car
If you are driving and you are able, please think about car sharing. Kirkstall has limited parking, so be mindful of this when setting out. There are four disabled parking bays available at Abbey Walk car park. Hollybush has limited on-site parking. This is reserved for blue badge holders and those with limited mobility. There are also disabled parking bays in the retail parks. However, these bays are for customers only and have strict minimum stay rules. You can find more information about parking in Kirkstall on Parkopedia. All car parks are marked on the map. Before you set out you can check for disruptions. One.network provides roadwork and road closure information in map format. This map is updated every 15 minutes.
Maps
Kirkstall Art Trail produces a map each year, with the venue number and address. The interactive 2025 Art Trail Map can help you plan your visit in more detail.
This map has the following points of interest (with these descriptors):
- Venues – number, address, artists – plus a link to the page.
- Activities – the where, when, and what for all our activities.
- The nearest bus stops and train stations – bus: route numbers, direction of travel. Train: access and timetable links.
- Car and bike parks – car: cost, restrictions, disabled spaces, EV charging points. Bike: exact location, number of bike stand spaces.
- Toilets open to the public – gendered, accessible toilet, baby changing facilities, changing places toilet.
- Refreshments – food and drink served, amenities, outdoor seating, family-friendly, dogs permitted.
- The nearest ATM.
If you are able to, we encourage you to use the online version of the map. However, you can download the 2025 trail map (PDF), and there will be copies of the map available on the day.
Venues and access guides
There are separate pages for each of our participating venues. The venue number is the same as it appears on the map. You will find information for each venue (where we have them*). These access guides should help with planning your visit.
Descriptors come under the following headings, and these are:
- Venue type – what type of building or place it is, e.g. business, community, heritage, residential, etc.
- Routes – some venues may have maps and directions to help visitors find them.
- Venue description – a description of access into the venue. Such as steps, the ground level and surface, width of doors, and grab rails.
- Dogs – if the venue allows dogs. Assistance/Guide dog owners have full rights of access to public places, spaces, and services. Keep all dogs on a lead at all times as a courtesy to all venues. Where provided, there may be extra relevant information.
- Toilets – if there are toilets, if they are accessible, and if there are baby-changing units.
- Refreshments – if there are any refreshments available. Where provided, there may be extra relevant information.
Please be aware that not all our venues will be accessible by wheelchair.
Select individual venues from the 2025 Venue Directory to find out more.
*We will update access guides as and when we receive this information.
Artists and activities
Each of our artists, poets, performers, and workshop facilitators have their own entry. Descriptors come under the following headings, and these are:
- The artist’s name.
- The artists’ chosen art forms. For example, painting, photography, sculpture, etc.
- The artist’s bio in their own words.
- A link to their website and/or social media, if they have any.
- If relevant, a brief description of the activity that they are delivering.
- The majority of activities are suitable for children. If an activity has an age restriction for safety reasons, we will note it here.
- Most of our activities are free, but some artists may have an extra charge. If there is a cost, we will note that here.
Each venue page lists the exhibiting artists’ entries underneath the venue access guides.
You can find a list of all the artists taking part in this year’s Art Trail in the 2025 Artist Directory.
Signage
During the weekend, you will be able to spot our venues with our ‘yellow’ branding. Decorated with yellow bunting and signage.
Branded signs at each venue will be:
- headed by a yellow banner that reads Kirkstall Art Trail.
- have a number. This is the venue number and is the same as the number on the map.
- have a unique QR code. When scanned, it will open the webpage about that specific venue. On this webpage, you will find venue access guides, details about the artists exhibiting there, and any activities.
Toilets
Most individual venues will have limited access to toilets, especially in private residences. We have labelled toilets that are open to the public in Kirkstall on the interactive 2025 Art Trail Map.
There are accessible toilets at some of the venues, notably the Abbey, Hollybush, and Church Hall. There is also a Changing Places toilet in Kirkstall, located at Abbey House Museum. You can find out more on the Changing Places Toilets website.
Refreshments
There are many places to eat and drink within Kirkstall. We have labelled our recommendations on the interactive 2025 Art Trail Map.
Unless it is business as normal, individual venues are not expected to offer refreshments to visitors. Please check the access guides, under ‘refreshments’, on individual venue page for more details.
Getting help and assistance
The Information Point will be located in St Stephen’s Church Hall car park on Norman Street.
The what3words location is ///prefer.many.zoom
If the weather is bad, the information point will move indoors to St Stephen’s Church Hall (next door).
Please see the section on Wellness Spaces for further help and assistance.
Wellness spaces
Kirkstall Art Trail can get noisy and busy with crowds. If you want to avoid this, we recommend arriving at 11 am when the trail is at its quietest.
If you feel that you or somebody in your party does require a safe or quiet space, there are some venues that can assist you.
The venues below can offer a safe or quiet space, and/or have staff trained in disability awareness.
- You can talk to any of the staff working at Kirkstall Abbey. You can find them at the desk in the visitor centre. The staff will be able to offer you assistance, and a quiet space if required.
- There are also trained staff at Abbey House Museum, which is oppostite the Abbey. Find out more about Leeds Museums and Galleries Access Commitment.
- Talk to a member of the TCV staff working at Hollybush Conservation Centre. They have provided a quiet space at the end of the garden for you to sit.
- St Stephen’s Well Community Garden is a quite place you can visit and escape from the crowds. It’s right next door to St Stephen’s Church on Station Parade.
Photography disclaimer
Please note that we will take photographs of the event throughout the Art Trail weekend.
We will use these to publicise and share news of the Art Trail. We may use images in press releases, printed publicity, and on our website and social media. We may also share images with our funders. We will store images in a secure manner in accordance with our Privacy Policy. If you would prefer that you or your child not be photographed, please let us know. If you would like to see your images, or would like us to delete them, please email us at info@kirkstallarttrail.co.uk
You can change the screen so it is easier for you to read and navigate by clicking on the accessibility icon in the top lef-hand corner. You can also move and hide the icon. There is more information about the accessibility toggle in the Website Accessibility Statement.
If you have any questions about accessibility, or feedback to help us improve Kirkstall Art Trail please contact us by email at info@kirkstallarttrail.co.uk.