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Your Visit to Kirkstall Art Trail
We are dedicated to helping 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.
PLEASE NOTE: To avoid disappointment, we recommend that you carry some cash if you want to buy from the artists. We cannot guarantee they all accept card payments.
You can find out ‘What’s On’ during the trail with the Events 2024 page.
Getting to Kirkstall
Our Location
Kirkstall is a North West suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire. It is easily accessed 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. This includes 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. You can find more information about parking in Kirkstall on Parkopedia. There are some disabled parking bays in Abbey Walk car park, and some in the retail parks – but these are reserved for customers.
Maps
Kirkstall Art Trail produces a map each year, with the venue number and address. We have created an interactive Digital Map for 2024, which 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 link to the page)
- activities (the where, when, 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, dog friendly)
- the nearest ATM
If you are able to, we encourage you to use the digital version of the map. However, you can download the paper version here ‘Kirkstall Art Trail 2024 map‘, and there will be a number of printed maps available on the day.
Our Venues
There are separate pages for each of our venues. These are numbered the same as they appear on the map. You will find descriptions for each venue (where we have them)*, and this should help with planning your visit.
Descriptors come under the following headings and these are:
- Type of venue: what type of building it is. E.g. a business, residential, or heritage.
- Access: description of access into the venue.
- Dog friendly: whether dogs are allowed inside the venue. All dogs are to be kept on the lead at all times as a courtesy to all venues. If it has been provided, there may be extra relevant information.
- Toilets: whether there are toilets, whether they are accessible, and if there are baby changing units
- Refreshments: whether there are any refreshments available. If it has been provided, there may be extra relevant information.
Please be aware, that not all our venues will be accessible by a wheelchair.
You can find out more about each venue using the Venue Listing 2024 directory.
*Please note, that we will update this information as we receive it.
Our Artists
Each of our artists, poets, performers, and workshop facilitators have their own entry. Descriptors come under the following headings, and these are:
- Artist name
- Art form: this lists the types of art the artist specialises in. If you are interested in a particular art form, you can find the artists using the search function at the bottom of the page.
- Artist bio: a short personable statement about their chosen art form and inspiration.
- Website and/ or social media: if they have any online presence it is listed, and you can follow the links.
- Work for sale: whether they are selling their work, which you can buy from them during the trail. Artists are not obliged to sell their work, but if they do, we do not take any comission and all profit is theirs to keep. Any transactions you do make are made solely between you and the artist.
- Activity: a brief description of what the acticity is.
- Suitable for children: If the activity is suitable for children.
- Cost: most of our activities are free, but some artists have an additional charge. If known, we have listed it here.
These Artist entries can be found on the Venue Number page they are being hosted at, under the venue description.
There is also a separate Artist Listing 2024, where you can see all of our artists in one place.
Signage
During the weekend you will be able to spot our venues with our ‘yellow’ branding. Venues will be decorated with bunting and balloons, and at each venue there will be a sign.
- The signs are headed with a yellow banner that reads Kirkstall Art Trail.
- Each one will have a number that is the same as they appear on the map.
- They also have a unique QR code. When scanned, it will take you straight to the webpage about that venue. Besides the venue descriptions, details about all the artists exhibiting at that venue, and any activities, are also listed on the page.
Toilets
Most individual venues will have limited access to toilets, especially in private residences. We have labelled toilets open to the public on the Digital Map.
There are accessible toilets at some of our sites. There is also a Changing Places toilet in Kirkstall. You can find it at Abbey House Museum when it opens on 19 July 2024. You can find out more on the Changing Places Toilets website.
Refreshments
There are many eateries within Kirkstall. We have labelled our recommendations on the Digital Map.
Unless it is business as normal, individual venues are not expected to offer refreshments to visitors. Please check the refreshments labels on each Venue Page for more details.
Wellness Spaces
Kirkstall Art Trail can get noisy and busy with crowds. If you are wanting to avoid this, we suggest arriving at 11am when the trail is at its quietest.
If you feel that you or somebody in your party does require a quiet space, there are some venues that can assist you.
The venues below can offer a quiet space, and/or have staff that can help you.
- Venue 3. You can talk to any of the staff 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. Please be aware, that individual artists may not be able to help you.
- Venue 4. You can talk to any of the staff at Abbey House Museum. You can find them at the main desk in the shop. The staff will be able to offer you assistance, and a quiet space if required. Please be aware, that individual artists may not be able to help you.
- Venue 37. Talk to a member of the TCV staff at Hollybush Conservation Centre, they have set out a quiet space at the end of the garden for you to sit.
- Venue 10. Gigi Creative Bee, at 10 Norman Mount, has an activity where visitors can sit, colour and talk if they wish. There is a bench in the garden where visitors can sit and rest, where they can, ‘have a quiet moment’. Please be aware that this is a small venue, so may get crowded during peak times.
- Venue 11. Mindy Goose, at 24 Norman View, can also offer a quiet environment if required. Please be aware that a small dog lives at this address, but he does enjoy fusses. Please be aware that this is a small venue, so may get crowded during peak times.
If you have any questions about accessibility, or feedback to help us improve Kirkstall Art Trail please contact our accessibility coordinator, Mindy Goose, by email at info@kirkstallarttrail.co.uk.