Free Museums in North Dean Wood

"Manchester is home to two world class Art Galleries - The Manchester Art Gallery in town and the Whitworth Art Gallery on Oxford Road, by the university. There's also the recently redeveloped and reopened Gallery of Costume in Platt Fields Park - which you'll pass most days on your commute from Fallowfield to the Uni. All of the galleries house impressive permanent collections (which are free) and regular special exhibitons (which aren't)."

"A superb collection of British art and a hefty number of European masters are the highlights at the city's top art gallery. It's home to the best assemblage of Pre-Raphaelite art as well as a permanent collection of pre-17th-century art, mostly by Dutch and early Renaissance masters. It also hosts exciting exhibitions of modern and contemporary art. The gallery runs a free hour-long highlights tour from 2pm to 3pm Thursday to Sunday."

"The greatest evidence of this lies in the historic Manchester Art Gallery. Boasting an eclectic mixture of classic and contemporary work to suit all eyes and tastes, every person from the curious to the connoisseur can find something to light their fire at the Manchester Art Gallery. The art collection here spans an impressive 6 centuries!"

"For the die-hard football fan in your family, this is a great place to visit. Discover the history of the beautiful game and see the many collections displaying famous kits and even trophies. The Hall of Fame showcases the sport’s greatest players and icons."

"In 2001, the National Football Museum was transferred from Preston to Manchester. The museum has over 140,000 football artefacts such as boots, programmes, paintings and balls. To visit the primary exhibition, you will not pay anything."

"This major gallery is packed with 19th- and 20th-century British heavyweights – Turner, Constable, Stanley Spencer, Wyndham Lewis et al – along with contemporary pieces by more recent arrivals such as Antony..."

"Modern and contemporary British art is on the menu as the excellent gallery in the centre of Leeds, one big homage to the work of men and women from the 20th …"

"Over the past 125+ years, the Whitworth has seen many transformations but none so much as its recent £15 million development, resulting in accolades such as RIBA National Award and Art Fund’s Museum of the Year 2015. Now home to an internationally important collection numbering 60,000 works - blending high-profile names like Blake, Spencer, Rembrandt and Moore with fresh new talent - the gallery’s principal aim remains the same: ‘the perpetual gratification of the people of Manchester’."

"Found in Whitworth Park, the Whitworth Art Gallery is part of the University of Manchester and owns more than 60,000 works of art. It was first opened in 1889 and now showcases paintings by the likes of William Blake, Thomas Gainsborough, and Camille Pissarro. There is also an extensive collection of modern and contemporary art, as well as a wallpaper collection, which includes more than 5,000 examples of vibrant papers."

"Part of the University of Manchester, The Whitworth acts as a bridge between the university and the people of the city by providing a space to meet, play and learn. The gallery has been named Best Emerging Cultural Destination in Europe and includes gallery spaces, a study centre, learning studio and collections centre."

"Located about 10 miles from Sheffield, the Elsecar Heritage Railway is dedicated to the preservation, restoration, and expansion of one of the area's oldest railway lines. Highlights include an impressive collection of historic locomotives and rolling stock that once belonged to the South Yorkshire Railway. Budding engineers can even learn to drive a steam train through one of the railway's "footplate" courses (they also offer a number of fun themed excursions)."

"In a city with the biggest student population outside of London, it would be absurd for the prevailing university culture not to have some influence on the art scene. Housed within the University of Leeds campus in the Grade II listed Art Deco Parkinson Building, The Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery showcases a mix of contemporary art as well as works from the university’s special collections department spanning over 200 years. The gallery expectedly supports and promotes its students’ and its graduates’ work, in addition to displays from local artists and those from further afield."

"You don’t have to be a student to enjoy the art of The Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery at the University of Leeds. Since 1970, it’s been home to the University Art Collection, which features ceramics, photographs and sculpture. That’s not all – you can see an incredible selection of British and European paintings, drawings and prints from 17th century to the present day."

"Credit: Dr Neil Clifton licensed for commercial use via Creative Commons. For hundreds of years, Dick Hudsons has been a staple of Bingley hospitality. The pub has been around since the 18th-century, serving up quality food and drink to its customers, making it one of the must-visit country pubs near Leeds."

"If you’re at White Rose Centre and get a sudden urge for some ice cream, you’re in luck. The Ice Cream Parlour has 18 flavours for you to work through. From mint chocolate chip to raspberry ripple, bubblegum and pistachio, they do the classics and they do them well."

"There’s an incredible history behind Pendle Hill, a Bronze Age burial site. This breathtaking landmark maintains a strong association with witchcraft thanks to the witch trials of 1612. For walkers, access to the hill is most commonly from nearby village of Barley."

"Situated on Leeds Road, Creme de la Creme is every chocoholics dream, the parlour itself is a quirky and unique space with booths to sit and enjoy your chosen delights. Choose from luxurious cakes, rich and thick freakshakes, freshly made crepes and pancakes, fluffy waffles, ice cold sundaes, hot cookie dough, sweet little macaroons and an excellent selection of hot and cold drinks."