By John Baron
Council chiefs are set to increase admission charges to the city’s museums by an average of 3.8% this year.
A council report reviewing fees and charges in museums and galleries for 2026-27 said it had considered the current financial environment, including inflation, visitor data, the cost of living and the council’s income targets.
Changes at Abbey House Museum mean the cost of an adult admission will rise from £7.15 to £7.35, and a child from £3.50 to £3.60.
At Leeds Industrial Museum will increase from £6.10 to £6.40 for adults and a child aged over three will increase 20p to £3.50.
The £1 admission fee at Leeds Industrial Museum for residents within the LS12 postcode and the neighbouring postcodes of LS3, LS4 and LS5 continues into 2026 to continue to encourage access for local residents. The impact of this initiative is currently being reviewed.
A donation-based pay as you feel scheme at Kirkstall Abbey, which was introduced last year, will remain in place
Discounts will continue to be offered to Leedscard and Breezecard holders.
“Overall, the changes are to ensure Leeds Museums and Galleries can continue to provide choice to visitors, offer value for money alongside specific discounts, and deliver against agreed income targets in 2026/27,” a council report said.
- The full report authorising the charges, along with pricing documents, can be read in full here.
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What a pity they could not be bothered to keep the working gem of a museum on the waterefront in what was a real life industrial centre of Leeds at the Stourton Thwaite Mills Working Museum that had some of the best ‘write ups’ such as at:- https://www.mylearning.org/stories/thwaite-through-time/thwaite-mill-in-wartime
From 1641 to its final working closure in 1976, almost 400 years when including as a museum!
Inclduding 2 of the largest working water wheels in an historic industrial building in the world and an original working area with original machinery, it wwas a true working life historical building and structure that showed integration of all transport systems of its working days, rail, canal, river and road, only to be sabotaged by a local authority that sold it off for ’30 pieces of silver’ because it did not fit in with their modernistic pathetic views with museums such as the royal armouries.
The people of Leeds have truly been sold short and have lost yewt another important part of its working life and heritage by a council that deliberately ran it down as a part of the excuse to get rid of this valuyable historic building and its hundreds of years of history!
In reality because of its location and not an ideal photo shoot for press hungry councillors and denied them populist front page write ups, this true gem of industrial life that not only played aan important part during WW11 when the mill operating on a shift system so that production occurred 24 hours a day, 7 days a week it produced Putty for the blitz stricken areas of the country alloing propeerties to be re-glazed and families kept warm with secure glazed properties.