So much to look at!
4
4
Date of visit: July 2025
I am a disabled person. I have experience of challenges around: a hidden impairment and moving around.
Overall Rating
Good
When you go window shopping at the Kirkgate Market, there is so much more to see than just the wares of the many vendors. The historical part effortlessly keeps up with the beauty and interest of the many Victorian arcades in the area and you can even see the birthplace of M&S! The first Marks & Spencer, only a small kiosk among dozens. And even though the more modern extension lacks the beautiful ironwork, you can enjoy the many colourful murals and posters on display. It also contains the Leeds Street Gallery, including a large painted map of Leeds on the floor, like one of those children’s play rugs. I had a great time riding down those painted streets in my wheelchair and you or your children might enjoy it too! The same area also has picnic tables and a screen telling you about departures from the nearby bus station, so you can enjoy your lunch inside a spacious hall while waiting for your connection. There are lots of different food stalls as well as vendors for groceries and household items. You could even visit the library or the community hub!
Disabled Access In and Around
Average
There are several entrances that all have automatic sliding doors and step free-access. There are three parts to the market: the Victorian bit on the side of New Market Street, a modern annex in the middle and an outdoor market on the side of the bus station. The annex has slightly smoother flooring and wider walkways. The walkways between the kiosks in all the markets were wide enough for my powerchair (62 cm), but sometimes shop displays made it a bit more difficult to navigate. The outdoor market has the widest paths. Many of the shops around the sides of the indoor bit have a step up into them, but a lot of them also operate as kiosks, so you would not have to go inside. Some of the food stalls and a large food hall in the new part have tables with moveables chairs that have backrests.
Accessible facilities: Single-level venue, Step-free entrance, Step-free access to most areas
Parking & Transport
Good
I travelled to this place by walk or wheel
There is some on-street parking on George Street and a multi-storey car parks on either side of the outdoor market: NCP The Markets on New York Street and Victoria on George Street. The closest bus stops to the historical part are for Corn Exchange on New Market Street/Vicar Lane (2, 3, 3A, 12, 13, 13A, 51, 52, 164, 165, 168) or New York Street (4, 4F, 12, 16A). Leeds Bus Station is right next to the outdoor part of the markets, along with the Cultural bus stops on New York Street/York Street (4, 4F, 16, 16A, 19, 19A, 64). The train station is a 0.5-mile/10-minute walk or wheel away.
Accessible facilities: Public or on street parking
Accessible Toilets
Average
The toilets are off a colourfully painted corridor in the middle of the market that has step-free access. There is an accessible bathroom each in the female and male toilets. I only looked at the bathroom on the side of the women’s toilets, but I assume that the two are mirrored. The smell was quite terrible, so I only stayed long enough to take some photos while holding my breath. The door opens to the outside right. A RADAR is needed to access the bathroom. There is no door opener. The handle on the outside is a long vertical metal bar. There is a handrail on the back of the door and it locks by lifting up the handle. There is a large mirror angled slightly downwards and a colostomy shelf on the wall to your right when you come in. The sink is on the wall to your left. The toilet and the bin are on the back wall. There is a fixed vertical and a horizontal handrail to the left of the toilet that can be lifted and moved out of the way and a fixed horizontal handrail on the wall to the right of and behind the toilet. The flush is a spatula lever. The toilet paper holder is to the right of the toilet. There is space for a right-side transfer. The red cord is to the left of the toilet. There is a vertical handrails on the right of the sink. The sink is a pedestal sink and a push tap. There are two wall-mounted soap dispensers mounted on the wall above the sink. There is only a hand dryer, no paper towels. It is mounted on the wall to the left of the sink, right next to the door. There is a narrow footpedal bin underneath the colostomy shelf in the corner between the toilet and the mirror. While I was there, someone called for assistance using the red emergency cord and a member of staff came to help, so it is good to know that this system works. There is a Changing Places toilet in an outbuilding by the exit onto George Street closest to the outside market that is only accessible with a key from the Community Hub. When I visited, however, even the staff could not access it and did not know when it would be accessible again. There is a Changing Places toilet in the Victoria shopping centre just across the road that you could use instead (RADAR key needed).
Facilities: Accessible toilet
Staff
While I found the staff generally trying to be helpful, they were often unsure about the accessibility features I was asking about. I was met with suspicion when I asked about the Changing Places toilet, though. The person I asked to let me into the Changing Places toilet at first refused and said only people with carers were allowed to use it. They then did not even know that the toilet was inaccessible until they did not manage to open it and did not know how long it would be like that. I was told I could email markets@leeds.gov.uk to inquire about it.
