St Michael's Lane · Headingley · Leeds LS6 3DP
Headingley: two grounds, one site
Headingley is unusual: a cricket ground and a rugby league stadium built back to back on the same site, sharing a stand between them. Yorkshire play on one side, Leeds Rhinos on the other, and which one you are going to determines everything about the day.
Two stadiums sharing a single stand, so spectators on either side sit with their backs to each other watching different sports. There is nothing else quite like it in English sport, and it makes for a compact and confusing site.
One postcode, two very different days
Same site, same approach roads, and completely different timings.
Yorkshire CCC
Tests, one-day internationals and county cricket. Long days, open returns.
Leeds Rhinos
Super League. Evening and afternoon kick-offs, and a fixed finish time.
Between the two
The defining feature of the site, and the reason it is so compact.
St Michael's Lane, LS6
Residential Headingley on all sides, with matchday and match-day controls throughout.
Kent to Leeds
Up the M1 and the A1, and a long way. Times include the required rest breaks.
| Pick-up area | Distance | Each way |
|---|---|---|
| Bromley & Orpington | 215 miles | 4h – 4h 55m |
| Sevenoaks & Tonbridge | 218 miles | 4h 5m – 5h |
| Dartford & Bluewater | 221 miles | 4h 10m – 5h 5m |
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 226 miles | 4h 15m – 5h 10m |
| Maidstone & Aylesford | 231 miles | 4h 20m – 5h 15m |
| Rochester & Chatham | 236 miles | 4h 25m – 5h 20m |
| Canterbury & Ashford | 260 miles | 4h 50m – 5h 50m |
Headingley the district
The ground sits in a busy residential and student area a couple of miles from central Leeds.
| Feature | Note |
|---|---|
| Residential and student Leeds | Terraced streets on all sides, with parking controls. |
| Otley Road | The main artery, with the bars and food. It gets very busy. |
| Leeds city centre | About two miles, and where most accommodation is. |
| Leeds station | Two and a half miles, with local services and buses. |
| We collect towards Otley Road | Where traffic moves, around ten minutes' walk. |
A trip to Headingley
Tell us the sport, not just the ground
Headingley means two things and they run to different clocks. A Test day ends when the light or the result decides; a Super League fixture ends at a known time. One needs an open return with the vehicle holding nearby, the other needs a set collection. Same postcode, same walk, entirely different arrangement, and it is the first thing we ask.
Two hundred and twenty miles is an overnight
Four to five and a half hours each way puts Headingley in the same category as Manchester: possible in a day, considerably better with a night in Leeds. For an evening rugby league kick-off it is not really a choice, since driving back afterwards means arriving home around three in the morning.
Headingley the district is part of the appeal
Otley Road, a few minutes from the ground, has the bars and the food and a great deal of life to it, particularly in term time. Groups who have travelled this far usually want an hour or two there rather than going straight back to a hotel, and we plan the return around that rather than around the final whistle.
The streets are residential and tight
Terraced Leeds on all sides with parking controls throughout, which means no dropping at the turnstiles and no chance of parking a car nearby. We hold towards Otley Road where traffic is actually moving, around ten minutes' walk, and that applies whichever of the two grounds you have been in.
Headingley questions
Two grounds, one site, one postcode.
What are the two grounds at Headingley?
A cricket ground where Yorkshire play, and a rugby league stadium where Leeds Rhinos play, built back to back on the same site and sharing a stand between them.
Why does it matter which one we are going to?
Because cricket ends when the light or the result decides and rugby league ends at a known time. One needs an open return, the other a set collection. Tell us the sport when you book.
How far is Leeds from Kent?
Around two hundred and fifteen to two hundred and sixty miles, roughly four to six hours each way including required rest breaks.
Should we stay overnight?
For an evening rugby league fixture, effectively yes, since driving back afterwards means arriving home around three in the morning. For a cricket day it is strongly advisable.
Where do you collect afterwards?
Towards Otley Road where traffic is moving, around ten minutes' walk. The streets immediately around the ground are terraced with parking controls.
Is there anything to do nearby?
Otley Road, a few minutes away, has the bars and food and a great deal of life to it. Most groups who have travelled this far want an hour or two there.
Can you take a full coach?
Yes, up to forty-nine seats, with driver rest planning built into a journey of this length.
Is the fare fixed?
Yes, agreed before travel and unaffected by motorway delays or how long the cricket runs.
Yorkshire venues and guides
Leeds and the north.