The Royal Armouries is Britain’s national collection of arms and armour, and was moved from its former home in the Tower of London to a specially-created building in Leeds in 1996. Visitors can enter five galleries, each with its own theme covering self-defence, war, armour of the Orient, hunting and tournament. There is a wealth of different objects on display, including over 7500 swords, King Henry VIII’s equestrian equipment, several longbows excavated from the sunken British battleship the Mary Rose, 50 instruments of torture, and arms and armour from as far afield as central Asia, India, Africa and Japan. The Armouries also hold a variety of events and exhibitions, many of them aimed at children including the popular Easter-egg trails and Hallowe’en stories.
Air: Leeds/Bradford International Airport. Rail: Train: Leeds Station. Road: Coach: Leeds Bus Station.

Royal Armouries Museum, Armouries Drive, Leeds LS10 1LT, UK
Tel: 08700 344344 (24-hour information line) or (0113) 220 1916
Website: www.armouries.org.uk/leeds

United Kingdom