Leeds to Milton Keynes drive: Distance, time & best stops
The distance from Leeds to Milton Keynes by car is 149 miles, with a 2h40m driving time. The best road trip stops on the Leeds to Milton Keynes drive are the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Nottingham and the Althorp Estate.
Finding the best things to do between Leeds and Milton Keynes
The Leeds to Milton Keynes drive connects the biggest city in Yorkshire to a new town with a surprisingly fascinating history.
The best Leeds activities include food tours that visit top local restaurants and Emmerdale filming locations bus tours.
Oft-maligned Milton Keynes is a new town gradually coming into its own. There are lots of fun attractions here, including the Snozone indoor ski centre and indoor skydiving at iFly.
Top of the list of Milton Keynes experiences, however, should be Bletchley Park. This was the secret codebreaking centre in World War II, where teams of mathematicians and scientists made key breakthroughs that turned the tide of the war. The stories are fascinating, and the on-site National Museum of Computing takes you through the history of computers.
Leeds to Milton Keynes distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Leeds to Milton Keynes is 149 miles. Usually, that makes for a driving time of around two hours and 40 minutes. The best stops on the Leeds to Milton Keynes road trip route are the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Nottingham and the Althorp Estate.
Leeds to Milton Keynes road trip attractions: Yorkshire Sculpture Park
A short distance from Junction 38 of the M1, between Barnsley and Wakefield, the Yorkshire Sculpture Park is a large open space with woodland, walking trails, cutesy bridges and plenty of sheep.
Interspersed amongst this are more than 100 sculptures and art installations, including many by internationally-revered artists such as Antony Gormley, Jaume Plensa and Henry Moore.
The Yorkshire Sculpture Park manages to marry the peaceful and the playful.
Best stops between Leeds and Milton Keynes: Nottingham
Nottingham unashamedly plays on its Robin Hood heritage, but it does have a couple of good attractions. The City of Caves heads into a network of man-made caves. Over the years, they have been used as leather tanneries, pubs and air raid shelters.
The National Justice Museum is inside an old courthouse and prison complex, and explores the world of crime and punishment. The section on convict transportation to Australia is a fascinating.
Other top Nottingham experiences include a guided Victorian architecture walk and a Robin Hood-themed treasure hunt.
Leeds to Milton Keynes drive: Althorp Estate
A ten minute detour off the M1, the Althorp Estate is home to one of England’s most lavishly decorated stately homes. The Spencer family still lives there and tours are seasonal.
However, most visitors are going for the Diana connection. Althorp was Princess Diana of Wales’ family home, and her grave is on the estate.
More Leeds road trips
Doncaster to Leeds | Huddersfield to Leeds | Leeds to Hull | Leeds to Newcastle | Middlesbrough to Leeds | Nottingham to Leeds | Sheffield to Leeds | Leeds to York.
More Milton Keynes road trips
Milton Keynes to Birmingham | Coventry to Milton Keynes | Derby to Milton Keynes | Leicester to Milton Keynes | Sheffield to Milton Keynes.