Meet Mike - Local Leeds Guide
Independent walking tours sharing the real stories, characters and hidden history of Leeds.
Ey up! I’m Mike Hampshire, the Leeds local behind Tours of Leeds. I started the tours because I love this city – its history, its characters, its people and all the wonderful bits of Leeds that folks walk past every day without realising.
Every tour I run is built on original research: digging through old maps, British Newspaper Archive stories, trade directories, and listening to older generations with fascinating tales to share.
My tours are small, friendly and relaxed – no Wikipedia or AI-generated scripts, and no big-company feel. Just genuine stories, proper local insight and a laugh or two along the way. Whether you’re visiting Leeds for the first time or you’ve lived here all your life, I’ll help you discover the city in a way that feels authentic, welcoming and fun.
Leeds Through My Eyes
A few moments from the places, stories and discoveries that inspire my tours.
What Makes Tours of Leeds Different
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Local knowledge – born and raised in Leeds, sharing the city I love.
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Original research – tours built from old maps, archives and real historical sources.
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Independent – no generated scripts, no corporate flavour, just proper stories.
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Small groups – relaxed, friendly and personal.
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Authentic experience – a warm Yorkshire welcome with humour thrown in too.
Meet Your Guide
Mike Hampshire is a Leeds local, researcher and walking tour guide with a passion for uncovering the city’s hidden stories. His tours combine history, humour and original research to give visitors an authentic look at Leeds. Mike’s happiest when exploring old maps, uncovering new details, or sharing stories in one of the city’s historic pubs.