Leisure 

A variety of leisure activities are available in and around Huddersfield. Full details of leisure and recreational facilities in the region can be found on the Kirklees Council website.

Arts and culture

As you might expect from a creative town, the arts play an important role in Huddersfield life.

The acclaimed poet, Simon Armitage was born and brought up in nearby Marsden, while author Joanne Harris lives and works here too. Hollywood actor Sir Patrick Stewart was born in the small town of Mirfield and started his career as a journalist for the Dewsbury Reporter. Sir Patrick is now Chancellor of the University of Huddersfield.

Huddersfield’s Lawrence Batley Theatre offers a showcase for pioneering and creative companies and is the hub for the international Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival.

Not surprisingly, the breathtaking panoramas over the Pennines have inspired many artists over the years. Throughout the region, small private art galleries complement the public galleries in Huddersfield.

Sports

Whether you’re an enthusiastic amateur or a professional sportsperson, Huddersfield has the facilities to match. 

Kirklees Active Leisure operates 14 sport and leisure centres, including 7 swimming pools. With numerous private sports clubs and associations throughout the region, there is something for everyone. 

Huddersfield has certainly earned its place in the sporting history books. The George Hotel in Huddersfield is famed as the birthplace of Rugby League and thanks to Super League teams, the Huddersfield Giants and Dewsbury Rams, the sport remains a firm favourite today.

Huddersfield Giants, share the Galpharm Stadium with Huddersfield Town AFC. The Coca-Cola Football League One team regularly attracts crowds in excess of 10,000.

There are plenty of ways to spend your leisure time in and around Huddersfield, from country walks to shopping, watching and playing sport to eating out. Highlights are listed below, visit www.yorkshire.com for more.

Live entertainment

Lawrence Batley Theatre and the local Town Halls  run a varied programme of theatre, music, comedy and dance. Many independent bars, such as Sleepers and Bar 1:22 have regular live music and a feast of events, such as Marsden Jazz Festival and Folk Festivals in Holmfirth and Cleckheaton, satisfy the most ardent music lover. As well as music events, the area is also famous for its outdoor folklore and street theatre shows, such as Festival of Light and Marsden Imbolc Festival.
Full event listings can be found on the Kirklees Council website.

Retail therapy

Huddersfield is home to a variety of big names such as House of Fraser, Marks and Spencer and all the Arcadia Group stores. Alongside big brands are a range of independent stores and arcades such as Byram Arcade, stocking everything from one-off clothing lines to handmade jewellery. Nearby villages and market towns, such as Marsden and Holmfirth, are also treasure troves of independent shops, cafés and restaurants.

Entertaining the kids

You don’t need to travel too far to keep the kids entertained on a weekend and in the school holidays, enjoy the wildlife at Ponderosa Farm, climb aboard a steam train at Kirklees Light Railway and go deep underground at the National Coal Mining Museum. Free museums and open parks are also great places to enjoy, and to really blow off steam you can take them to Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

Great outdoors

The countryside surrounding Huddersfield is picturesque, so there’s no excuse not to explore it. From long moorland hikes to short canal strolls, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the Pennine landscape, a great starting point is the walking route search on the Kirklees Council website.

Eating out

From Nepalese to British, Indian to Mongolian, the area is home to an abundance of restaurants and eateries, many of which offer great early bird deals for mid-week treats. Regular farmers markets take place across the area and the annual food and drink festivals in Huddersfield and Holmfirth attract thousands of people every year.

Keeping fit

Kirklees Active Leisure operates 14 sport and leisure centres, including 7 public swimming pools, some with spa facilities, across the area. Add to this the numerous privately run sports clubs and you’re never far away from your next swim or gym fix.