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Leeds

Coordinates:53°47′51″N01°32′37″W/ 53.79750°N 1.54361°W/53.79750; -1.54361
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This article is about the city. For the district, seeCity of Leeds.For other uses, seeLeeds (disambiguation).

Leeds
City
Coat of arms
Leeds is located in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds
Location withinCity of Leeds
Leeds is located in West Yorkshire
Leeds
Leeds
Location withinWest Yorkshire
Area111.6 km2(43.1 sq mi)
Population536,280 (2021 estimate;ONS)[1]
•Density4,805/km2(12,440/sq mi)
OS grid referenceSE299339
Metropolitan borough
Metropolitan county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Areas of the city
List
Post townLEEDS
Postcode districtLS1-20, LS25-27
Dialling code0113
PoliceWest Yorkshire
FireWest Yorkshire
AmbulanceYorkshire
UK Parliament
Websiteleeds.gov.uk
List of places
UK
England
Yorkshire
53°47′51″N01°32′37″W/ 53.79750°N 1.54361°W/53.79750; -1.54361

Leedsis acity[a]inWest Yorkshire,England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of theCity of Leeds Metropolitan Borough,which is thesecond most populous districtin theUnited Kingdom.It is built around theRiver Aireand is in the eastern foothills of thePennines.The city was a small manorial borough in the 13th century and amarket townin the 16th century. It expanded by becoming a major production and trading centre (mainly withwool) in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Leeds developed as amill townduring theIndustrial Revolutionalongside other surrounding villages and towns in theWest Riding of Yorkshire.It was also known for itsflaxindustry,iron foundries,engineering and printing, as well as shopping, with several survivingVictorian eraarcades, such asKirkgate Market.[2][3]City status was awarded in 1893, and a populous urban centre formed in the following century which absorbed surrounding villages and overtook the population of nearbyYork.[2][4]

Leeds' economy is the most diverse of all the UK's main employment centres, and has seen the fastest rate of private-sector jobs growth of any UK city and has the highest ratio of private topublic sectorjobs.[5]Leeds is home to over 109,000 companies, generating 5% of England's total economic output of £60.5 billion,[6][7]and is also ranked as ahigh sufficiency cityby theGlobalization and World Cities Research Network.[8]Leeds is considered the cultural, financial and commercial heart of theWest Yorkshire Urban Area.[9][10]

Leeds is also served by four universities, and has the fourth largest student population in the country and the country'sfourth largest urban economy.[11]The student population has stimulated growth of the nightlife in the city and there are ample facilities for sporting and cultural activities, including classical and popular music festivals, and a varied collection of museums.[12]

Leeds has multiplemotorwaylinks such as theM1,M62andA1(M).Thecity's railway stationis, alongsideManchester Piccadilly,the busiest of its kind inNorthern England.[13]Public transport, rail and road networks in the city and wider region are widespread.[14][15]It is the county's largest settlement with a population of 536,280,[1]while the larger City of Leeds district has a population of 812,000 (2021 census).[16][17]The city is part of the fourth-largestbuilt-up areaby population in the United Kingdom,West Yorkshire Built-up Area,with a 2011 census population of 1.7 million.[18]

History[edit]

Main article:History of Leeds

Toponymy[edit]

The name derives from the oldBrittonic*Lātēnses(via Late BrittonicLādēses), composed of theCelticroot*lāt-"violent, boiling" and the borrowed Latin plural derivational suffix -ēnses meaning "people of the fast-flowing river", in reference to theRiver Airethat flows through the city.[19][20]This name originally referred to the forested area covering most of theBrythonic kingdom of Elmet,which existed during the 5th century into the early 7th century.[21]

Bedestates in the fourteenth chapter of hisEcclesiastical History,in a discussion of an altar surviving from a church erected byEdwin of Northumbria,that it is located in...regione quae vocatur Loidis(Latin, "the region which is called Loidis" ). An inhabitant of Leeds is locally known as aLoiner,a word of uncertain origin.[22]The termLeodensianis also used, from the city's Latin name.

Economic development[edit]

TheLeeds and Liverpool CanalatGranary Wharf
TheLeeds Corn Exchangeopened in 1864.

Leeds developed as amarket townin theMiddle Agesas part of the local agricultural economy.

Before theIndustrial Revolution,it became a co-ordination centre for the manufacture of woollen cloth, and whitebroadclothwas traded at itsWhite Cloth Hall.[23]Leeds handled one sixth of England's export trade in 1770.[24]Growth, initially in textiles, was accelerated by the creation of theAire and Calder Navigationin 1699 (with major additional works in the 18th century) and theLeeds and Liverpool Canalin 1816.[25]In the lateGeorgianera,William Luptonwas one of a number of central Leeds landowners, some of whom, like him, were also textile manufacturers. At the time of his death in 1828, Lupton occupied theenclosedfields of themanor of Leeds,his estate including a mill,reservoir,substantial house and outbuildings.[26][27]

Mechanical engineering, initially to supply tools and machinery for the textile sector, rapidly became a diverse industry.[28]

The railway network constructed around Leeds, starting with theLeeds and Selby Railwayin 1834, provided improved communications with national markets and, significantly for its development, an east–west connection withManchesterand the ports ofLiverpoolandHullgiving improved access to international markets.[29]Alongside technological advances and industrial expansion, Leeds retained an interest in trading in agricultural commodities, with theCorn Exchangeopening in 1864.[30]

Leeds from the Meadowsby Joseph Rhodes, 1825

Marshall's Millwas one of the first of many factories constructed in Leeds from around 1790 when the most significant were woollen finishing and flax mills.[31]Manufacturing diversified by 1914 to printing, engineering, chemicals and clothing manufacture.[32]Decline in manufacturing during the 1930s was temporarily reversed by a switch to producing military uniforms and munitions during the Second World War. However, by the 1970s, the clothing industry was in irreversible decline, facing cheap foreign competition.[33]The contemporary economy has been shaped byLeeds City Council's vision of building a '24-hour European city' and 'capital of the north'.[34]The city has developed from the decay of the post-industrial era to become a telephone banking centre, connected to the electronic infrastructure of the modern global economy.[34]There has been growth in the corporate and legal sectors,[35]and increased local affluence has led to an expanding retail sector, including theluxury goodsmarket.[36]

Leeds City Region Enterprise Zonewas launched in April 2012 to promote development in four sites along theA63East Leeds Link Road.[37]

Local government[edit]

Main article:History of local government in Yorkshire
Leeds (parish) population
1881 160,109
1891 177,523
1901 177,920
1911 259,394
1921 269,665
1931 482,809
1941 war*
1951 505,219
1961 510,676
*owing to war no census was held
source:UK census[38]

Leeds was a manor and township in the large ancient parish ofLeeds St Peter,in theSkyrackwapentakeof theWest RidingofYorkshire.[39]The Borough of Leeds was created in 1207, when Maurice Paynel, lord of the manor, granted a charter to a small area of the manor, close to the river crossing, in what is now the city centre. KingJames Igranted the borough to his wife,Anne of Denmark,and in 1612, she ordered a survey of the borough; in 1615 she was petitioned to remove the strictCalvinistpreacher Alexander Cooke as vicar of Leeds, but she refused.[40]

The inhabitants petitionedCharles Ifor a charter of incorporation, which was granted in 1626. The new charter incorporated the entire parish, including all eleven townships, as theBorough of Leedsand withdrew the earlier charter.Improvement commissionerswere set up in 1755 for paving, lighting, and cleansing of the main streets, includingBriggateand further powers were added in 1790 to improve the water supply.[41]

The borough corporation was reformed under the provisions ofMunicipal Corporations Act 1835.Leeds Borough Policeforce was formed in 1836, andLeeds Town Hallwas completed by the corporation in 1858. In 1866, Leeds and each of the other townships in the borough becamecivil parishes.The borough became acounty boroughin 1889, giving it independence from the newly formed West Riding County Council and it gainedcity statusin 1893.[42]In 1904 the Leeds parish absorbedBeeston,Chapel Allerton,Farnley,Headingley cum BurleyandPotternewtonfrom within the borough. In the twentieth century the county borough initiated a series of significant territorial expansions, growing from 21,593 acres (87.38 km2) in 1911 to 40,612 acres (164.35 km2) in 1961.[43]In 1912 the parish and county borough of Leeds absorbedLeeds Rural District,consisting of the parishes ofRoundhayandSeacroft;andShadwell,which had been part of Wetherby Rural District. On 1 April 1925, the parish of Leeds was expanded to cover the whole borough.[39]

The county borough was abolished on 1 April 1974, and its former area was combined with that of the municipal boroughs ofMorleyandPudsey;the urban districts ofAireborough,Horsforth,Otley,GarforthandRothwell;and parts of the rural districts ofTadcaster,Wetherby,andWharfedale.[44]This area formed a metropolitan district in the county ofWest Yorkshire.It gained both borough and city status and is known as theCity of Leeds.Initially, local government services were provided byLeeds City CouncilandWest Yorkshire County Council.When the county council was abolished in 1986, the city council absorbed its functions, and some powers passed to organisations such as theWest Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority.From 1988 two run-down and derelict areas close to thecity centrewere designated for regeneration and became the responsibility ofLeeds Development Corporation,outside the planning remit of the city council.[45]Planning powers were restored to the local authority in 1995 when the development corporation was wound up.

Suburban growth[edit]

This map shows central Leeds and (clockwise from top left) the developing suburbs of Hyde Park, Woodhouse, Sheepscar, New Leeds, Cross Green, Hunslet, Holbeck, Wortley, Armley and Burley.
1866 map of Leeds
19th-centuryBriggate, Leeds

In 1801, 42% of the population of Leeds lived outside the township, in the wider borough.Choleraoutbreaks in 1832 and 1849 caused the authorities to address the problems of drainage, sanitation, and water supply. Water was pumped from the River Wharfe, but by 1860 it was too heavily polluted to be usable. Following the Leeds Waterworks Act of 1867 three reservoirs were built at Lindley Wood, Swinsty, and Fewston in the Washburn Valley north of Leeds.[46]

Residential growth occurred in Holbeck and Hunslet from 1801 to 1851, but, as these townships became industrialised new areas were favoured for middle class housing.[47]Land south of the river was developed primarily for industry and secondarily forback-to-backworkers' dwellings. The Leeds Improvement Act 1866 sought to improve the quality of working class housing by restricting the number of homes that could be built in a single terrace.[48]

Holbeck and Leeds formed a continuous built-up area by 1858, with Hunslet nearly meeting them.[49]In the latter half of the nineteenth century, population growth in Hunslet, Armley, and Wortley outstripped that of Leeds. When pollution became a problem, the wealthier residents left the industrial conurbation to live in Headingley, Potternewton and Chapel Allerton which led to a 50% increase in the population of Headingley and Burley from 1851 to 1861. The middle-class flight from the industrial areas led to development beyond the borough at Roundhay and Adel.[49]The introduction of theelectric tramwayled to intensification of development in Headingley and Potternewton and expansion outside the borough into Roundhay.[50]

Two private gas supply companies were taken over by the corporation in 1870, and the municipal supply provided street lighting and cheaper gas to homes. From the early 1880s, the Yorkshire House-to-House Electricity Company supplied electricity to Leeds until it was purchased by Leeds Corporation and became a municipal supply.[51]

Slum clearanceand rebuilding began in Leeds during theinterwar periodwhen over 18,000 houses were built by the council on 24 estates inCross Gates,Middleton, Gipton, Belle Isle and Halton Moor. The slums ofQuarry Hillwere replaced by the innovative Quarry Hill flats, which were demolished in 1975. Another 36,000 houses were built by private sector builders, creating suburbs in Gledhow, Moortown, Alwoodley, Roundhay, Colton, Whitkirk,Oakwood,Weetwood, and Adel. After 1949 a further 30,000 sub-standard houses were demolished by the council and replaced by 151 medium-rise and high-rise blocks of council flats in estates at Seacroft, Armley Heights, Tinshill, and Brackenwood.[52]Leeds has seen great expenditure on regenerating the city, attracting in investments and flagship projects,[53]as found inLeeds city centre.Many developments boasting luxurious penthouse apartments have been built close to the city centre.

Geography[edit]

At53°47′59″N1°32′57″W/ 53.79972°N 1.54917°W/53.79972; -1.54917(53.799°, −1.549°), and 190 miles (310 km) north-northwest ofcentral London,central Leeds is located on theRiver Airein a narrow section of the Aire Valley in the eastern foothills of thePennines.The city centre lies at about 206 feet (63 m)above sea levelwhile the district ranges from 1,115 feet (340 m) in the far west on the slopes ofIlkley Moorto about 33 feet (10 m) where the rivers Aire and Wharfe cross the eastern boundary. The centre of Leeds is part of a continuously built-up area extending to Pudsey, Bramley, Horsforth, Alwoodley, Seacroft, Middleton and Morley.[54]

Leeds is home to many large urban parks.[55]

Leeds has the secondhighest populationof any local authority district in the UK (afterBirmingham), and the secondgreatest areaof any Englishmetropolitan district(afterDoncaster), extending 15 miles (24 km) from east to west, and 13 miles (21 km) from north to south. The northern boundary follows theRiver Wharfefor several miles but crosses the river to include the part of Otley which lies north of the river. Over 65% of the Leeds district isgreen beltland and the city centre is less than twenty miles (32 km) from theYorkshire Dales National Park,[56]which has some of the most spectacular scenery and countryside in the UK.[57]Inner and southern areas of Leeds lie on a layer of coal measure sandstones. To the north parts are built on older sandstone and gritstones and to the east it extends into the magnesian limestone belt.[31][58]Theland usein the central areas of Leeds is overwhelmingly urban.[59]

Attempts to define the exact geographic meaning of Leeds lead to a variety of concepts of its extent, varying by context include the area of thecity centre,the urban sprawl, the administrative boundaries, and thefunctional region.[60]

Leeds is much more a generalised concept place name in inverted commas, it is the city, but it is also the commuter villages and the region as well.

— Brian Thompson, A History of Modern Leeds[60]

Leeds has a varying extent by context such as thecity centre,the built-up sprawl around the centre, administrative boundaries and thetravel to work area.[60]The city centre lies in a narrow section of the Aire Valley at about 206 feet (63 m)above sea level.Theland usein the central areas of Leeds is overwhelmingly urban.[61]while being less than twenty miles (32 km) from the ruralYorkshire Dales National Park.[62][63]It is contained within theLeeds Inner Ring Road,formed from parts of theA58 road,A61 road,A64 road,A643 roadand theM621 motorway.Briggate,the principal north–south shopping street, is pedestrianised and Queen Victoria Street, a part of theVictoria Quarter,is enclosed under a glass roof.Millennium Squareis a significant urban focal point.

The canalised River Aire flows from the Dark Arches under Leeds's main railway station towards the bottom of the picture. To the left of the river is the lock which links the river with the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. To the right is a riverside walk beneath modern buildings, and in the distance, beyond the railway viaduct and station, are more high-rise modern buildings located on the west side of the city centre.
River Aire

Inner and southern areas of Leeds lie on a layer of coal measure sandstones forming theYorkshire Coalfield.To the north parts are built on older sandstone and gritstones and to the east it extends into the magnesian limestone belt.[31][64][65]Outside Leeds centre, there are anumber of suburbs and exurbswithin the district. Some of Leeds suburbs include Headingley, Harehills and Hunslet. while exurbs of Leeds include Pudsey, Horsforth and Morley.[61]

Lying in the eastern foothills of thePennines,there is a significant variation in elevation within the city's built-up area. The district ranges from 1,115 feet (340 m) in the far west on the slopes ofIlkley Moorto about 33 feet (10 m) where the rivers Aire and Wharfe cross the eastern boundary. Land rises to 198 m (650 ft) in Cookridge, just 6 miles (9.7 km) from the city centre. It has thesecond-highest populationof any local authority district in the UK (afterBirmingham), and thesecond-greatest areaof any Englishmetropolitan district(afterDoncaster), extending 15 miles (24 km) from east to west, and 13 miles (21 km) from north to south. The northern boundary follows theRiver Wharfefor several miles (several kilometres), but it crosses the river to include the part of Otley which lies north of the river. TheLeeds postcode areacovers most of the City of Leeds district[66]and is almost entirely made up of the Leedspost town.[67]Otley, Wetherby, Tadcaster, Pudsey and Ilkley are separate post towns within the postcode area.[67]

Green belt[edit]

Further information:South and West Yorkshire Green Belt

Leeds is within agreen beltregion that extends into the wider surrounding counties and is in place to reduceurban sprawl,prevent the settlements in the West Yorkshire conurbation from further convergence, protect the identity of outlying communities, encouragebrownfieldreuse, and preserve nearby countryside. This is achieved by restricting inappropriate development within the designated areas, and imposing stricter conditions on permitted building.[68]

Over 60% of the Leeds district is green belt land and it surrounds the settlement, preventing further sprawl towards nearby communities. Larger outlying towns and villages are exempt from the green belt area. However, smaller villages, hamlets and rural areas are 'washed over' by the designation. The green belt was first adopted in 1960,[68]and the size in the borough in 2017 amounted to some 33,970 hectares (339.7 km2;131.2 sq mi).[69]A subsidiary aim of the green belt is to encourage recreation and leisure interests,[68]with rural landscape features, greenfield areas and facilities including Temple Newsam Park and House with golf course, Rothwell Country Park, Middleton Park, Kirkstall Abbey ruins and surrounding park, Bedquilts recreation grounds, Waterloo lake, Roundhay castle and park, and Morwick, Cobble and Elmete Halls.

Climate[edit]

Sunny early-June 2006 day atPark Square

Leeds has a climate that isoceanic(Köppen:Cfb), and influenced by the Pennines. Summers are usually mild, with moderate rainfall, while winters are chilly, cloudy with occasional snow and frost. The nearest official weather recording station is at Bingley, some twelve miles (20 km) away at a higher altitude.[70]

July is the warmest month, with a mean temperature of 16 °C (61 °F), while the coldest month is January, with a mean temperature of 3 °C (37 °F). Temperatures above 30 °C (86 °F) and below −10 °C (14 °F) are not very common but can happen occasionally. Temperatures at Leeds Bradford Airport fell to −12.6 °C (9.3 °F) in December 2010[71]and reached 31.8 °C (89 °F) at Leeds city centre in August 2003.[72]

The record temperature for Leeds is 34.4 °C (94 °F) during the early August 1990 heatwave. It is likely this was exceeded during the heatwaves of July 2019 and July 2022 where many other areas broke their all time records. However Leeds weather centre closed in the 2000s.

As is typical for many sprawling cities in areas of varying topography, temperatures can change depending on location. Average July and August daytime highs exceed 22 °C (72 °F) (a value comparable to South East England) in a small area just to the south east of the city centre,[73][74]where the elevation declines to under 20 metres (66 feet). This is 2 °C (3.6 °F) milder than the typical summer temperature at Leeds Bradford airport weather station (shown in the chart below), at an elevation of 208 metres (682 feet). Situated on the eastern side of the Pennines, Leeds is among the driest cities in the United Kingdom, with an annual rainfall of 660 mm (25.98 in). Though extreme weather in Leeds is relatively rare, thunderstorms, blizzards, gale-force winds and even tornadoes have struck the city. The last reported tornado occurred on 14 September 2006, causing trees to uproot and signal failures atLeeds City railway station.[75]

Climate data for Leeds Bradford, extremes 1985–2003
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 14.3
(57.7) 		17.5
(63.5) 		21.2
(70.2) 		26.1
(79.0) 		28.5
(83.3) 		31.7
(89.1) 		31.1
(88.0) 		34.4
(93.9) 		28.2
(82.8) 		24.5
(76.1) 		17.3
(63.1) 		15.3
(59.5) 		34.4
(93.9)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 5.8
(42.4) 		5.9
(42.6) 		8.7
(47.7) 		11.3
(52.3) 		15
(59) 		18.2
(64.8) 		19.9
(67.8) 		19.9
(67.8) 		17.3
(63.1) 		13.4
(56.1) 		8.8
(47.8) 		6.7
(44.1) 		12.6
(54.6)
Daily mean °C (°F) 3.1
(37.6) 		3.1
(37.6) 		5.2
(41.4) 		7.2
(45.0) 		10.3
(50.5) 		13.4
(56.1) 		15.2
(59.4) 		15.2
(59.4) 		13.0
(55.4) 		9.9
(49.8) 		5.9
(42.6) 		4.0
(39.2) 		8.8
(47.8)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 0.3
(32.5) 		0.2
(32.4) 		1.6
(34.9) 		3.1
(37.6) 		5.5
(41.9) 		8.5
(47.3) 		10.4
(50.7) 		10.5
(50.9) 		8.7
(47.7) 		6.3
(43.3) 		2.9
(37.2) 		1.2
(34.2) 		4.9
(40.9)
Record low °C (°F) −7.9
(17.8) 		−8.5
(16.7) 		−6.5
(20.3) 		−2.1
(28.2) 		0.3
(32.5) 		2.5
(36.5) 		6.4
(43.5) 		5.5
(41.9) 		2.1
(35.8) 		−3.5
(25.7) 		−5.5
(22.1) 		−7.9
(17.8) 		−8.5
(16.7)
Averageprecipitationmm (inches) 61
(2.4) 		45
(1.8) 		52
(2.0) 		48
(1.9) 		54
(2.1) 		54
(2.1) 		51
(2.0) 		65
(2.6) 		57
(2.2) 		55
(2.2) 		57
(2.2) 		61
(2.4) 		660
(25.9)
Average precipitation days 17.5 14.2 14.8 13.5 13.7 12.2 11.7 13.2 12.9 15.1 16.5 17.0 172.3
Source:[76][77][78]

Demographics[edit]

Main article:Demographics of Leeds

Leeds forms the main area of theCity of Leedsmetropolitan borough of West Yorkshire. This district includes Leeds itself as well as surrounding towns ofHorsforth,Morley,Otley,Pudsey,RothwellandWetherby,[79]Leeds is the central city of theLeeds City Region,a classification for the city region'smetropolitan area.The city region has a population of over 3 million, making it the second most populated metropolitan city region in the United Kingdom, behindGreater London.[80]

In January 2011, Leeds was named as one of five "cities to watch" in a report published byCentre for Cities.[81]The report shows that the average resident in Leeds earns £471 per week,[82]seventeenth nationally and 30.9% of Leeds residents had NVQ4+ high-level qualifications,[83]fifteenth nationally. Employment in Leeds was 68.8% in the period June 2012 to June 2013, which was lower than the national average, whilst unemployment was higher than the national average at 9.6% over the same time period.[84]Leeds is overall less deprived than other large UK cities and average income is above regional averages.[85]

Urban subdivision[edit]

Leeds compared
A map of West Yorkshire showing the Leeds urban subdivision of the West Yorkshire Urban Area (which is made up of five councils) coloured green and the rest of the Urban area coloured blue-grey
Leeds urban subdivision
shown within the West Yorkshire urban area
Leeds urban subdivision within
the West Yorkshire urban area
2021
UK Census		 Leeds
USD		 Leeds
district		 West
Yorks UA		 England
Population 515,947 811,953 2,351,582 56,489,840
White 71.2% 79.0% 76.6% 81.0%
Asian 13.1% 9.7% 15.9% 9.6%
Black 8.3% 5.6% 3.1% 4.2%
Source: Office for National Statistics[86][87][88][89][90]

At the time of theUnited Kingdom Census 2001,the Leeds urban subdivision occupied an area of 109 square kilometres (42 sq mi) and had a population of 443,247; making it the fourth-most populous urban subdivision within England and the fifth largest within the United Kingdom. The population density was 4,066 inhabitants per square kilometre (10,530/sq mi), slightly higher than the rest of theWest Yorkshire Urban Area.It accounts for 20% of the area and 62% of the population of the City of Leeds. The population of the urban subdivision had a 100 to 93.1 female–male ratio.[91]Of those over 16 years old, 39.4% were single (never married) and 35.4% married for the first time.[92]The urban subdivision's 188,890 households included 35% one-person, 27.9% married couples living together, 8.8% were co-habiting couples, and 5.7% single parents with their children. Leeds is the largest component of the West Yorkshire Urban Area[61]and is counted byEurostatas part of the Leeds-Bradfordlarger urban zone.The Leedstravel to work areain 2001 included all of the City of Leeds, a northern strip of the City of Bradford, the eastern part of Kirklees, and a section of southern North Yorkshire; it occupies 751 square kilometres (290 sq mi).

Historical population
YearPop.±%
180194,421—
1811108,459+14.9%
1821137,476+26.8%
1831183,015+33.1%
1841222,189+21.4%
1851249,992+12.5%
1861311,197+24.5%
1871372,402+19.7%
1881433,607+16.4%
1891503,493+16.1%
1901552,479+9.7%
1911606,250+9.7%
1921625,854+3.2%
1931646,119+3.2%
1941668,667+3.5%
1951692,003+3.5%
1961715,260+3.4%
1971739,401+3.4%
1981696,732−5.8%
1991716,760+2.9%
2001715,404−0.2%
2011751,500+5.0%
Source:Vision of Britain[93]

In 2011, the Leeds USD had a population of 474,632 and had an area of 112 square kilometres (43 sq mi) with a population density of 4,238 inhabitants per square kilometre (10,980/sq mi).[94]It is bounded by, and physically attached to, the other towns ofGarforthto the east,Morleyto the southwest andPudseyto the west, all being within the wider borough. 63% of the borough's population of 751,485 live in the USD, while it takes up only 21% of its total area of 552 km2.

Metropolitan district[edit]

At the time of the2011 UK Census,the district had a total population of 751,500, representing a 5% growth since the previous census ten years earlier.[85]According to the 2001 UK Census, there were 301,614 households in Leeds; 33.3% were married couples living together, 31.6% were single-person households, 9.0% wereco-habitingcouples and 9.8% were single parents, following a similar trend to the rest of England.[95]The population density was 1,967/km2(5,090/sq mi)[95]and for every 100 females, there were 93.5 males.

Leeds is a diverse city with over 75 ethnic groups, and with ethnic minorities representing just under 11.6% of the total population.[85]According to figures from the2011 UK Census,85.0% of the population wasWhite(81.1%White British,0.9%White Irish,0.1%GypsyorIrish Traveller,2.9%Other White), 2.7% ofmixed race(1.2% White and Black Caribbean, 0.3% White and Black African, 0.7% White and Asian, 0.5% Other Mixed), 7.7%Asian(2.1%Indian,3.0%Pakistani,0.6%Bangladeshi,0.8%Chinese,1.2% Other Asian), 3.5%Black(2.0% African, 0.9%Caribbean,0.6%Other Black), 0.5%Araband 0.6% of other ethnic heritage. Leeds has seen many new different countries of birth as of theUK CensusincludingZimbabwe,Iran,IndiaandNigeriaall included in the top ten countries of birth in the city. Large Pakistani communities can be seen in wards such as Gipton and Harehills. Chapel Allerton is known for having a large Caribbean community.[96]

The majority of people in Leeds identify themselves as Christian.[97]The proportion of Muslims (3.0% of the population) is average for the country.[97]Leeds has the third-largest community of Jews in the United Kingdom, after those of London and Manchester. The areas ofAlwoodleyandMoortowncontain sizeable Jewish communities.[98]16.8% of Leeds residents in the 2001 census declared themselves as having "No Religion", which is broadly in line with the figure for the whole of the UK (also 8.1% "religion not stated" ). The crime rate in Leeds is well above the national average, like many other English major cities.[99][100]In July 2006, thethink tankReformcalculated rates of crime for different offences and has related this to populations of major urban areas (defined as towns over 100,000 population). Leeds was 11th in this rating (excluding London boroughs, 23rd including London boroughs).[101]Total recorded crime in Leeds fell by 45% between 2002–03 and 2011–12.[85]

Governance[edit]

See also:City of Leeds
Leeds Civic Hallis the seat of local government.

TheCity of Leedsis thelocal government districtcovering Leeds, and the local authority isLeeds City Council.The council is composed of 99 councillors, three for each of the district'swards.Elections are held three years out of four, on the first Thursday of May. One third of the councillors are elected, for a four-year term, in each election. The council is currently controlled byLabour.West Yorkshiredoes not have a county council, so Leeds City Council is the primary provider of local government services for the city. The district is in theYorkshire and the Humberregion of England.

Most of the district is anunparished area.In the unparished area, there is no lower tier of government. Outside the unparished area, there are 31 civil parishes, represented byparish councils.These are the lowest tier of local government[102]and absorb some limited functions from Leeds City Council in their areas.

The district is represented by eightMPs,for the constituencies ofElmet and Rothwell(Alec Shelbrooke,Conservative);Leeds Central(Hilary Benn,Labour);Leeds East(Richard Burgon,Labour);Leeds North East(Fabian Hamilton,Labour);Leeds North West(Alex Sobel,Labour);Leeds West(Rachel Reeves,Labour);Morley and Outwood(constituency shared withCity of Wakefield) (Andrea Jenkyns,Conservative); andPudsey(Stuart Andrew,Conservative).

Economy[edit]

Main article:Economy of Leeds
With an economy worth £64.6 billion, Leeds is forecast to grow 21% over the next 10 years.[103]

Leeds has the most diverse economy of all the UK's main employment centres and has seen the fastest rate of private sector jobs growth of any UK city and has the highest ratio of public to private sector jobs of all the UK'sCore Cities.The city had the third-largest jobs total by local authority area with 480,000 in employment and self-employment at the beginning of 2015.[104]24.7% were in public administration, education and health, 23.9% were in banking, finance and insurance and 21.4% were in distribution, hotels and restaurants. It is in the banking, finance and insurance sectors that Leeds differs most from the financial structure of the region and the nation.[105]There are 130,100 jobs in the city centre, accounting for 31% of all jobs in the wider district. In 2007, 47,500 jobs were in finance and business, 42,300 in public services, and 19,500 in retail and distribution. 43% of finance sector jobs in the district are contained in Leeds city centre and 44% of those employed in the city centre live more than nine kilometres (5.6 miles) away.[106]

In 2011, the financial and services industry in Leeds was worth £2.1 billion, the fifth-largest in the UK, behind London, Edinburgh, Manchester and Birmingham.[107]Tertiary industries such as retail,call centres,offices and media have contributed to a high rate of economic growth. The city also hosts the only subsidiary office of theBank of Englandin the UK. In 2012 GVA for the city was recorded at £18.8 billion,[108]with the entireLeeds City Regiongenerating a £56 billion economy.[109]

Leeds Docks

Key sectors include finance, retail, leisure and the visitor economy, construction, manufacturing and the creative and digital industries.[109]It has one of the most diverse economies of all the UK's main employment centres and has seen the fastest rate of private-sector jobs growth of any UK city. It also has the highest ratio of private to public sector jobs of all the UK's Core Cities, with 77% of its workforce working in the private sector. Leeds has the third-largest jobs total by local authority area, with 480,000 in employment and self-employment at the beginning of 2015.[109]Leeds is ranked as a "High Sufficiency" level city by theGlobalization and World Cities Research Network.[110]Today, Leeds has become the largest legal and financial centre outside London,[109][111]with the financial and insurance services industry worth £13 billion to the city's economy.

Office developments, also traditionally located in the inner area, have expanded south of the River Aire and total 11,000,000 square feet (1,000,000 m2) of space.[106]In the period from 1999 to 2008 £2.5 billion of property development was undertaken in central Leeds; of which £711 million has been offices, £265 million retail, £389 million leisure and £794 million housing. The city saw several firsts, including the oldest-surviving film in existence,Roundhay Garden Scene(1888), and the 1767 invention ofsoda water.[112][113]

Major companies based in the city includeWilliam Hill,Channel 4,International Personal Finance,Asda,Leeds Building SocietyandNorthern Foods.CapitaGroup,KPMG,Direct Line,Aviva,Yorkshire Building Society,BT Group,Telefónica Europe(O2 Ltd) andTD Waterhouseall also have a considerable presence in the city.[114]In addition to other national governmental offices, the city is home to a largeDepartment for Work and Pensionsoffice building located inQuarry Hill,notable for its imposing design.

Leeds is the UK's third-largest manufacturing centre and 50% of the UK's manufacturing base is within a two-hour drive of Leeds. With around 1,800 firms and 39,000 employees, Leeds manufacturing firms account for 8.8% of total employment in the city. The largest sub-sectors are engineering, printing and publishing, food and drink, chemicals and medical technology.[115]Manufacturing and distribution accounted for £26 million of new property development in the period. There is an established creative industry in the city, particularly in the digital gaming sector. A number of large developers have studios in and around the city, includingActivision,developers of the mobile versions of theCall of Dutyseries,[116]andRockstar Leeds,developers of theGrand Theft Autoseries. In 2009 Leeds was the first city outside London to host theEurogamer Expo.

Finance[edit]

Leeds is the largest centre outside London for financial and business services. Over the next ten years, the economy is forecast to grow by 25% with financial and business services set to generate over half of GVA growth over that period with Finance and business services accounting for 38% of total output.

The finance and business service sector account for 38% of total output[109][117][107]with more than 30 national and international banks located in the city, including an office of theBank of England.[111]Leeds is also the UK's third-largest manufacturing centre with around 1,800 firms and 39,000 employees; Leeds manufacturing firms account for 8.8% of total employment in the city and is worth over £7 billion to the local economy.[117]The largest sub-sectors are engineering, printing and publishing, food and drink, chemicals and medical technology.[115]

Leeds has over 30 national and international banks, many of whose northern or regional offices are based in the city. It is the headquarters forFirst DirectandYorkshire Bank,and has largeBarclays,HSBC,Lloyds Banking Group,NatWest GroupandSantanderoperations.[114]The city is also an important centre for equity, venture, infrastructure and risk finance. Theventure capitalprovider, YFM Equity Partners, founded in Leeds, is now the UK's largest provider of risk capital to small and medium-sized enterprises.[114]TheUK Infrastructure Bank,founded in 2021 to support economic growth in regional and local sectors across the United Kingdom, is also based in Leeds.[118]

Law[edit]

There are around 150 law firms operating in Leeds, employing over 6,700 people. According to The UK Legal 500, "Leeds has a sophisticated and highly competitive legal market, second only to London."[119]Specialist legal expertise to be found in Leeds includes corporate finance, corporate restructuring and insolvency, global project financing, trade and investment, commercial litigation, competition, construction, Private Finance Initiatives and Public Private Partnerships, tax, derivatives, IT, employment, pensions, intellectual property, sport and entertainment.[119]The establishment of an Administrative Court in Leeds in April 2009 reinforced Leeds's position as one of the UK's key legal centres. The court previously sat only in London.[119]

Leisure and tourism[edit]

Harewood Houseis a member of theTreasure Houses of England,a marketing consortium for ten of the foremost historic homes in the country.

Tourism is important to the Leeds economy, in 2009 Leeds was the eighth-most visited city in England by UK visitors.[120]and the 13th-most visited city by overseas visitors.[121]Research byVisitEnglandreported that the day visitor market to Leeds attracts 24.9 million people each year, worth over £654 million to the local economy.[122]In the 2017Condé Nast Travelersurvey of readers, Leeds rated 6th among the 15 best cities in the UK for visitors.[123]

In 2016, Leeds received 27.29 million leisure tourist visits generating over £1.6 billion for the city, according to data from a STEAM survey. That was a 15.9% increase in revenue over 2015. A 9.7% increase in visits had been recorded since 2013.[124]The industry supported over 19,000 full-time equivalent jobs in 2016.[125]

Public sector[edit]

NHS England HQ

In Leeds, 108,000 people work in the public sector—24% of the workforce. The largest employers are Leeds City Council, with 33,000 staff, and the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, with 14,000 staff.[126]

Leeds has become a hub of public-sector health bodies. TheDepartment of Health and Social Care(DHSC),NHS England,theCare Quality Commission,NHS Digital,andPublic Health Englandall have large offices in Leeds. Europe's largest teaching hospital is also based in Leeds, and is home to the Yorkshire Cancer Centre, the largest of its kind in Europe.[127]

Key government departments and organisations in Leeds include theDepartment for Work and Pensions,with over 3,000 staff, the DHSC, with over 800 staff,HM Revenue and Customswith over 1,200 staff and theBritish Librarywith 1,100 staff.[126]

Trade[edit]

King Edward Street

The city centre has a largepedestrian zone.Briggateis the main shopping street where one can find many well-known BritishHigh Streetstores, includingMarks & Spencer,Costa Coffee,andHarvey Nichols.Many companies have several stores within Central Leeds and the wider city.

Leeds is home to one of the largest indoor markets in Europe,[128]Leeds Kirkgate Market.The district also has various regular local markets in Otley, Pudsey, and Yeadon.[129]Between 1987 – 1995 Leeds, Kirkgate market was renovated. The changes have maximised the retail provision in the market without compromising the historical features of the building, so much so that the renovated Kirkgate Market Hall structure was promoted from Grade II to Grade I listing status, and was subsequently nominated for a Civic Trust Award.

There is an annual German Christmas Market ( "Christkindelmarkt" ) based inMillennium Square,usually running from early November to mid-late December.[130]The 2020 Christmas Market was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.[131]The extensive retail area of Leeds is the principal regional shopping centre for the whole of the Yorkshire and the Humber region, offering a spend of £1.93 billion annually in 2013.[132]There are a number of indoor shopping centres in the centre of the city, including theMerrion Centre,St John's Centre,The Core,theVictoria Quarter,The Light,theCorn Exchange,Trinity Leeds,andVictoria Gate.[133]In total, there are well over 1,000 retail stores, with a combined floorspace of 3,660,000 square feet (340,000 m2)[106]in Leeds City Centre.

Victoria Quarter,opened in 1900

TheVictoria Quarteris notable for its high-end luxury retailers and impressive architecture. 70 stores such asLouis Vuitton,Vivienne Westwood,Diesel,and anchor Harvey Nichols are contained within two iron-wrought Victorian arcades, and a new arcade formed by arcading Queen Victoria Street with the largest expanse of stained glass in Britain.[134][135]

Trinity Leedsis Leeds's largest shopping centre and one of the largest in Europe.

In the Churwell area of Leeds is theWhite Rose Shopping Centre.Opening in 1997, the centre has over 100 high street stores anchored by Marks & Spencer, Primark, NEXT, and Sainsbury's.

On 21 March 2013, a large shopping and leisure complex calledTrinity Leedsopened in the city centre. The modern and interactive retail space covers the old Burton Arcades and the formerLeeds Shopping Plazawith its main entrance from Briggate.[136]

On 20 October 2016,Victoria Gateshopping centre opened with its flagship store,John Lewis.Three quarters of the stores in Victoria Gate were the first for the retailers outside of London.[137]Of the 40,000 people who work in retailing in Leeds, three quarters work in the wider district.[138]The Springs, located to the east of the city suburbs, just off junction 46 of the M1.[139]

Landmarks[edit]

See also:Architecture of LeedsandListed buildings in Leeds

Leeds displays a variety of natural and built landmarks. Natural landmarks include such diverse sites as the gritstone outcrop ofOtley Chevinand theFairburn Ings RSPB reserve.The city's parks atRoundhayandTemple Newsamhave long been owned and maintained by the council for the benefit of ratepayers and among the open spaces in the centre of Leeds areMillennium Square,City Square,Park Square,and Victoria Gardens. This last is the site of the central citywar memorial:there are 42 other war memorials in the suburbs, towns and villages in the district.[140]

Leeds City Square

The built environment embraces edifices of civic pride likeMorley Town Halland the trio of buildings in Leeds,Leeds Town Hall,Corn Exchange,andLeeds City Museum,by the architectCuthbert Brodrick.The two white buildings on the Leeds skyline are the Parkinson building of Leeds University and theCivic Hall,with golden owls adorning the tops of the latter's twin spires.[141]

Armley Mills,Tower Works,with its campanile-inspired towers, and the Egyptian-styleTemple Workshark back to the city's industrial past, while the site and ruins ofKirkstall Abbeydisplay the beauty and grandeur ofCistercianarchitecture. Notable churches areLeeds Minster(formerly Leeds Parish Church),St George's ChurchandLeeds Cathedral,in the city centre, and theChurch of St John the Baptist, AdelandBardseyParish Church in quieter locations. Notablenon-conformistchapels include theSalem Chapel,dating back to 1791 and notably the birthplace of Leeds United Football Club in 1919.[142][143]

Leeds is one of only a few UK cities outside of London to have a significant number ofhigh-rise buildings,the 112-metre (367 ft) tower ofBridgewater Place,also known asTheDalek,is part of a major office and residential development and was the region's tallest building untilAltus Housewas completed in 2021; it can be seen for miles (kilometres) around.[144]Among other Skyscrapers the 37-storeySky Plazato the north of the city centre stands on higher ground so that its 106 metres (348 ft) is higher than Bridgewater Place and the aforementioned, 38-storey Altus House in Arena Quarter, standing at 380 metres.Elland Road(football) andHeadingley Stadium(cricket and rugby) are well known to sports enthusiasts, and theWhite Rose Centreis a well-known retail outlet.

Transport[edit]

Main article:Transport in Leeds
Leeds railway station

Leeds has extensive road, bus and rail networks. Public transport in the Leeds area is coordinated and developed byWest Yorkshire Metro.[145]

The city has good rail and road links to the rest of the country.Leeds railway stationis one of the busiest in Britain, and Leeds is connected to the national road network via theA1(M)motorway,M1 motorwayandM62 motorway.The city is served byLeeds Bradford Airport.[146][147]

Road[edit]

Leeds is the starting point of theA62,A63,A64,A65,A647,andA660roads. The city is on theA58,A61roads, theM1andM62motorways intersect to the south of Leeds and theA1(M)passes to the east. The radialM621takes traffic into central Leeds from the M62 and M1, theLeeds Inner Ring Roadhas part motorway status and the city has anouter ring road.Part of the city centre[148]is pedestrianised and encircled by the clockwise-onlyloop road.The East Leeds Orbital Route's construction started in summer 2019 and was completed in 2021.[149][150]

Air quality in Leeds was declared "unsafe" by theWorld Health Organizationin May 2019. Neville Street, near Leeds railway station, has been measured as the most polluted street outside London.[151][152]AClean Air Zone,throughout north Leeds and the city centre, was proposed in 2018. The plan, similar to theLondon Low Emission Zone,would charge a daily fee for driving "older models of buses, taxis and HGVs" in the zone.[153]The zone was planned to start charging vehicles in January 2020, before being cancelled in October 2020 because of improvements in the city's air quality.[154]

Bus networks are widespread throughout the city and wider region.

Buses[edit]

Leeds City bus station(on Dyer Street) has long-distance bus services to nearby towns and cities and a small number of local area services. The main providers areFirst LeedsandArriva Yorkshire,the latter serves routes in the city's south.Harrogate Bus Companyprovides a service toHarrogateandRipon.Keighley Bus Companyprovides a service toShipley,Bingley,andKeighley.TheYorkshire Coastlinerservice runs from Leeds toScarboroughandWhitbyviaYorkandMalton.Also Transdev operates Flyer services toLeeds Bradford Airport.

In March 2024, theWest Yorkshire Combined Authorityannounced that buses in Leeds are set to be operated under public ownership.[155]

Cycling[edit]

An electric bicycle rental scheme, Leeds City Bikes, operated byBeryl,opened in September 2023.[156]The bikes are collected from bays around the city centre, and hirers are penalised if they do not return the bike to one of the bays.[157]

Rail[edit]

Leeds railway station

In 2017 Leeds had the third busiestrailway stationin the UK[158]outside ofLondon.From the station at New Station Street,West Yorkshire Metrotrains operated byNorthernrun to Leeds' suburbs, the wider area, national and international connections. The station has 18 platforms, the most outside of London.[159]

The borough, governed from Leeds, has 16 railway stations. A parkway station serving Leeds Bradford Airport and two other new stations in the area, planned for within the next 20 years, were announced in 2016.[160]

Air[edit]

Leeds Bradford International Airportis inYeadon,about 8 miles (13 km) to the north-west of the city centre, and has direct flights to eight UK and 70 international destinations. It is the tenth busiestairportoutside London,[161]with scheduled services toLondon Heathrow,Amsterdam,Dublin,andBarcelona.There is a direct rail service from Leeds toManchester Airport.[162]

Lack of mass transit[edit]

Plans for a public transport network in Leeds have been suggested:

  • In the 1940s plans to build an extensive underground system were not proceded with because of the Second World War.[163]
  • TheLeeds Supertramin the 1990s at a cost of £500 million was cancelled by the Transport MinisterAlistair Darlingin 2005 after £40 million had been spent on the project due to unforeseen added costs.
  • A proposed £250 million re-introduction oftrolleybusin 2007; the plans were cancelled in May 2016 citing little value for money, after millions of pounds spent on inquiries.[164]

In June 2019, in his bid to become Prime Minister,Boris Johnsonstated that it was "madness" that Leeds did not have a metro system.[165]In December 2019, in his firstQueen's Speech,Johnson promised to "remedy the scandal that Leeds is the largest city in Western Europe without light rail or a metro".[166][167]Plans are in place to improve public transport in Leeds, with upgrades to railway, bus services, and cycle lanes.[168][169][170]A tram system for the city and wider region was announced in 2023.[171]

Walking[edit]

Leeds is one of the best cities in the UK for walking.[172]TheLeeds Country Wayis a waymarked circular walk of 62 miles (100 km) through the rural outskirts of the city, never more than 7 miles (11 km) fromCity Square.TheMeanwood Valley Trailleads fromWoodhouse MooralongMeanwood BecktoGolden Acre Park.The Leeds extension of theDales Wayfollows the Meanwood Valley Trail before it branches off to head towardsIlkleyandWindermere.Leeds is on the northern section of theTrans Pennine Trailfor walkers and cyclists, and the towpath of theLeeds and Liverpool Canalis another walking and cycling route.The White Rose Waywalking trail toScarboroughbegins at City Square. There are many parks and public footpaths in both the urban and rural parts of Leeds, andThe Ramblers' Association,YHAand other walking organisations offer sociable walks. The Ramblers' Association publish booklets of walks in and around Leeds.[173]

Education[edit]

Museums[edit]

Leeds has 16 museums and galleries including nine that are council-run. Smaller museums in Leeds includeOtley Museum;HorsforthVillage Museum;[174]ULITA, an Archive of International Textiles;[175]and the museum atFulneck Moravian Settlement.Leeds City Museumopened in 2008[176]atMillennium Square.It is a major museum for the city, showcasing its designated collections of local history; world cultures; natural history; archaeology and fine and decorative arts plus a diverse programme of special exhibitions.[177]

Royal Armouries Museum

Abbey House Museumis housed in the former gatehouse ofKirkstall Abbey,and includes walk-through Victorian streets and galleries describing the history of the abbey, childhood, and Victorian Leeds.Armley Mills Industrial Museumis housed in what was once the world's largest woollen mill,[178]and includes industrial machinery and railway locomotives. This museum also shows the first known moving pictures in the world which were taken in the city, byLouis Le Prince,of aRoundhay Garden Sceneand ofLeeds Bridgein 1888.Thackray Museum of Medicineis a museum of the history of medicine, featuring topics such as Victorian public health, pre-anaesthesia surgery, and safety in childbirth. It is housed in a formerworkhousenext toSt James's Hospital.The museum closed temporarily in 2019 for a £4 million refurbishment. The redeveloped museum has since been shortlisted forArt Fund'sMuseum of the Yearaward 2021 and received a special commendation from the European Museum Forum in 2023.[179]

TheRoyal Armouries Museum,the United Kingdom's national collection of arms and armour, opened in 1996 in a dramatic modern building when this part of the collection was transferred from theTower of London.It is located a short distance from the city centre at Leeds Dock. It is also one of the largest collections of arms and armour in the world, comprising the UK's National Collection of Arms and Armour, NationalArtilleryCollection, and NationalFirearmsCollection.Thwaite MillsWatermill Museum is a fully restored 1820s water-powered mill on theRiver Aireto the east of the city centre. Nearby is the Leeds Museum Discovery Centre (formerly housed at the Leeds Museum Resource Centre inYeadon),[180]the major storage of items not currently on display in museums, and open to the public by appointment.[180][181]

Universities and colleges[edit]

Broadcasting Tower atLeeds Beckett University

The city is served by five universities. It has the UK's fourth-largest student population and the country'sfourth-largest urban economy.[182]Institutions providing higher education include:

The University of Leeds has about 31,000 students, of which 21,500 are full-time or sandwich undergraduate degree students,[184]Leeds Beckett University has 25,805[185]students of which 12,000 are full-time or sandwich undergraduate degree students and 2,100 full-time or sandwich HND students.[186]Leeds Trinity University has just under 3,000 students.[187]The city was voted the best UK university Destination by a survey inThe Independentnewspaper.[188]

Further educationin Leeds is provided byElliott Hudson College,Leeds City College(formed by a merger in 2009 and having over 60,000 students),Leeds College of Building,University Technical College (UTC) Leeds,Notre Dame Catholic Sixth Form College,and Leeds Mathematics School.[189]

Culture and community[edit]

See also:Culture of Leeds

In 2018, Leeds embarked on a five-year cultural investment programme, culminating in a year of cultural celebration in 2023. In 2023, the city hostedLeeds 2023,an international cultural festival.[190][191]

Art[edit]

Henry Moore Statue outsideLeeds Art Gallery

Leeds Art Gallery,which opened in 1888, houses the best twentieth century collection outside London and a colourful wall painting for the Victorian staircase by Lothar Götz. The gallery is owned and operated byLeeds City Counciland is free to members of the public. Just next door,The Henry Moore Institutehosts a year-round programme of historical, modern and contemporary exhibitions presenting sculpture from across the world.[192]

Located in the art deco headquarters of the former brewery,The Tetleyis a centre for contemporary art. The Gallery at 164 is an independent art gallery exhibiting artists, illustrators, photographers and designers working in all types of media.

The Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery offers art exhibitions from the University Art Collection and Treasures of the Brotherton Gallery. Art is taught in Leeds atLeeds College of Artwhich has alumni includingHenry MooreandDamien Hirst.Leeds city centre has a variety of statues and sculptures on public display. The city also features and ever-growing host of street art and urban murals, including the UK's tallest mural 'Athena Rising'.[193]This mural is part of a city-wide project 'A City Less Grey', initiated by East Street Arts, which won a national award at the Planning Awards 2018.[194]

Public art[edit]

Photograph of a statue of footballer Billy Bremner at Elland Road Stadium
Statue of footballer Billy Bremner at Elland Road Stadium
Main article:List of public art in Leeds

The city has a number of public artworks ranging from traditional statues to contemporary work. These include several works byAlfred Druryand one ofJoseph Beuys7000 Oaks.[195]Two bronze statues stand at Elland Road Stadium celebrating former managerDon Revieand team captainBilly Bremner.[196]

Events[edit]

Leeds West Indian Carnival
Light Night, one of the UK's largest annual arts and light festivals

Leeds West Indian Carnivalis Western Europe's oldest West Indian Carnival, and the UK's third-largest after the Notting Hill and Nottingham Carnival.[197][198]It attracts around 100,000 people over 2 days to the streets of Chapeltown and Harehills. There is a large procession that finishes at Potternewton Park, where there are stalls, entertainment and refreshments. TheLeeds Festival,featuring some of the biggest names in rock and indie music, takes place every year inBramham Park.The Leeds Asian Festival, formerly the LeedsMela,is held in Roundhay Park.[199]TheOtleyFolk Festival (patron:Nic Jones),[200]Walking Festival,[201]Carnival,[202]and Victorian Christmas Fayre[203]are annual events.Light NightLeeds takes place each October, and many venues in the city are open to the public forHeritage Open Daysin September.[204]TheLeeds International Pianoforte Competition,established in 1963 byFanny WatermanandMarion Stein,has been held in the city every three years since 1963 and has launched the careers of many major concert pianists. The Leeds International Concert Season, which includes orchestral and choral concerts inLeeds Town Halland other events, is the largest local authority music programme in the UK.[205]

TheLeeds International Film Festivalis the largest film festival in England outside London[206]and shows films from around the world. It incorporates the highly successfulLeeds Young People's Film Festival,which features exciting and innovative films made both for and by children and young people.[207]Garforthis host to the fortnight-long festival TheGarforth Arts Festivalwhich has been an annual event since 2005. TheChapel AllertonArts Festival is a week-long music and arts event starting in 1998 and held the week after August Bank Holiday each year.[208] TheLeeds Festival Fringeis a week long-music festival created in 2010 to showcase local talent in the week prior to Leeds Festival.

Light Night, one of the UK's largest annual arts and light festivals, takes place in the first week of October, turning the entire city into an art installation with light shows, projections, installations and lots more.[209]Leeds Prideis an annualLGBT+festival held since 2006 supported by the city council and local business.[210]In 2018 attendance was 40,000[211]with over 100 floats and benefits the city by over £3.8 million.[211][212][213]The city has a sponsorship scheme for its 15 Rainbow Plaques commemorating places and events that are of significance to the LGBT+ community organised throughLeeds Civic Trust.[214]Other festivals include Transform and Thought Bubble.

Film[edit]

Louis Le Prince

In October 1888Louis Le Princefilmed moving picture sequencesRoundhay Garden Sceneand aLeeds Bridgestreet scene using his single-lens camera andEastman's paper film.[215]These were several years before the work of competing inventors such asAuguste and Louis LumièreandThomas Edison.[216]Today,Leeds International Film Festival's International Short Film Competition is named after Louis Le Prince.[217]The 2015 documentary filmThe First Film,which first aired at theEdinburgh International Film Festival,documents Le Prince's pioneering status.[218]

Wordsworth Donisthorpewho was also from Leeds, filmed the second-oldest-surviving film. It is not known if he and Louis Le Prince ever met but they both had a strong connection to theLeeds Philosophical and Literary Society.Donisthorpe's patent for a camera to capture the moving image pre dated Le Prince's by twelve years.

Leeds has a rich film exhibition culture. In addition to the Leeds International Film Festival and Leeds Young Film Festival, the city hosts numerous independent cinemas and pop-up venues for film screenings.[219]The Cottage Road CinemaandHyde Park Picture Househave continuously been showing films since 1912 and 1914, respectively, which ranks them among the oldest still-running cinemas in the UK.[220]

Literature[edit]

Leeds has produced manywriters of note,including celebrated author and playwrightAlan Bennett.J. R. R. Tolkien,author ofThe Lord of the Rings,lived and taught in Leeds from 1921 to 1925.[221]In 2019 and 2020, Leeds hosted the Leeds Lit Fest, a "non-traditional" literature festival, incorporating talks, panels, and workshops.[222]There are plans to create a National Poetry Centre in Leeds.[223]

Notable libraries in Leeds are:

Parks and open spaces[edit]

Waterloo Lake inRoundhay Park,one of the largest urban parks in Europe
The mansion and garden atTemple Newsam

Leeds has many large parks and open spaces.Roundhay Parkis the largest park in the city and is one of the largest city parks in Europe. The park has more than 700 acres (2.8 km2)[228]of parkland, lakes, woodland and gardens which are all owned by Leeds City Council.

Other parks in the city include: Beckett Park, Bramley Fall Park, Cross Flatts Park, East End Park,Golden Acre Park,[229]Gotts Park,[230]the gardens and grounds ofHarewood House,Horforth Hall Park, Meanwood Park,Middleton Park,Potternewton Park, Pudsey Park,[231]Temple Newsam,Western Flatts Park andWoodhouse Moor.There are many more smaller parks and open spaces scattered around the city, which make up around 21.7% of the city's total area. A 2017 survey ranked Leeds 7th among the ten largest UK cities (by population) for the amount of green space, although published comments on the survey pointed out major inconsistencies in the city boundaries used.[232]

As part of the South Bank regeneration project, plans are in development forAire Park,a new 3.5 hectare city centre park located close to the former Tetley Brewery site.[233]Planning permission for the first phase to be undertaken by Vastint UK was granted in December 2018.[234]In 2023, the Monk Bridge viaduct was restored by a developer and subsequently opened as theMonk Bridge Viaduct Garden.[235]

Arts[edit]

Main articles:Music in LeedsandList of bands originating in Leeds

Leeds is home to the refurbishedGrand Theatrewhere the only national opera company outside London,Opera North,is based.[236]TheCity VarietiesMusic Hall is one of the UK's few remaining music halls, and famously hosted performances byCharlie ChaplinandHarry Houdini.It was also the venue of the BBC television programmeThe Good Old Days.The newest theatre, containing two auditoriums, is theLeeds Playhouse,which had formerly been known as the West Yorkshire Playhouse.[237][238][239]Just south ofLeeds Bridgeonce stoodThe Theatrewhich hostedSarah SiddonsandChing Lau Lauroin 1786 and 1834, respectively.[240][241]

Leeds is also home toPhoenix Dance Theatre,who were formed in the Harehills area of the city in 1981, andNorthern Ballet Theatre.[242]In autumn 2010 the two companies moved into a purpose-built dance centre which is the largest space for dance outside London. It is also the only space for dance to house a national classical and a national contemporary dance company alongside each another.[243]

TheFirst Direct Arena[244]opened in September 2013. The 13,500-seater stadium is rapidly becoming the city's number one venue for live music, indoor sports and many other events. Concerts are also held at the O2 Academy, Elland Road, which has hosted groups such as Queen and Kaiser Chiefs, among others and at the universities.Roundhay Parkin north Leeds has seen some of the world's biggest artists includingMichael Jackson,Madonna,Bruce Springsteen,andRobbie Williams.

TheLeeds Arenabuilding was named the "best new venue in the world" in 2014 by the Stadium Business Awards.[245]
Photograph of "Leeds Song Tunne" public art celebrating the music of the city
Leeds Song Tunnel public art celebrating the music of the city

Popular musical acts originating from Leeds includeSoft Cell,Kaiser Chiefs,the Pigeon Detectives,the Wedding Present,the Sunshine Underground,the Sisters of Mercy,Hadouken!,Corinne Bailey Rae,Dinosaur Pile-Up,Yard Act,Pulled Apart by Horses,Gang of Four,Hood,the Rhythm Sisters,Utah Saints,Alt-J,andMelanie Bof theSpice Girls.[246][247][248][249][250][251]A public artwork byAdrian Rileycalled 'Leeds Song Tunnel' celebrates bands and musical artists who have their origins in Leeds.[252]

OnValentine's Day1970,the Whoperformed and recorded their albumLive at Leedsat theUniversity of Leeds Refectory.Since its initial reception,Live at Leedshas been cited by severalmusic criticsas the best live rock recording of all time.[253][254][255]

Pink Floyd's popular second single "See Emily Play"was written in Leeds in 1967 after a gig in the oldLeeds City College Technology Campus,then known as Kitson College.[256]Leeds is the only city outside of London to have its ownrepertory theatre,ballet, and opera companies.[257]

Nightlife[edit]

Leeds is Purple Flag accredited to indicate an entertaining, diverse, safe and enjoyable night.[258]Leeds has the fourth largest student population in the country (over 200,000[259]), and is therefore one of the UK's hotspots for night-life. There are a large number of pubs, bars, nightclubs and restaurants, as well as a multitude of venues for live music. The full range of music tastes is catered for in Leeds. It includes the original home of the famous club nights Back 2 Basics, Speedqueen andVague.[260]Morley was the location oftechnoclub The Orbit.[261]

TheF Clubwas club night that ran in Leeds between 1977 and 1982 and specialised inpunk rockandpost-punk.[262][263]It would prove highly influential to the development of the goth subculture, due to it leading to the formation of seminal gothic rock bands likeThe Sisters of Mercy,The March Violets,andSouthern Death Cult.[264]The now-defunct clubLe Phonographiquewas located in theMerrion Centreand was the firstgothicnightclub in the world.[265][266]

Leeds has a well established LGBT+ nightlife scene, predominantly located in the Freedom Quarter on Lower Briggate.[267]The New Pennyis one of the UK's longest running LGBT+ venues, and Leeds oldest gay bar. TowardsMillennium Squareis a growing entertainment district providing for both students and weekend visitors. The square has many bars and restaurants and a large outdoor screen. Millennium Square is a venue for large seasonal events such as aChristmas market,gigs and concerts, and citywide parties. It is adjacent to the Mandela Gardens, which were opened byNelson Mandelain 2001. A number of public art features, fountains, and greenery can be found here. Yorkshire has a great history of real ale,[268]but several bars near the railway station are fusing traditional beers with a modern bar Leeds also hosts an annual Leeds International Beer Festival, held atLeeds Town Hallevery September.

Media[edit]

Leeds has a diverse media landscape and is considered a media hub.[269]Yorkshire Post NewspapersLtd, owned byJohnston Pressplc, is based in the city, and produces a daily morning broadsheet,The Yorkshire Post,and an evening paper, theYorkshire Evening Post(YEP). The YEP has a website which includes a series of community pages which focus on specific areas of the city.[270]TheWetherby Newscovers mainly areas within the north eastern sector of the district, and theWharfedale & Airedale Observer,published inIlkley,covers the north-west, both appearing weekly. The two largest universities both havestudent newspapers,the weeklyLeeds Studentfrom the University of Leeds and the monthlyThe Metfrom Leeds Beckett University.The Leeds Guidewas a fortnightly listings magazine, which was established in 1997 and ceased publication in 2012. Free publications include theLeeds Weekly News,produced by Yorkshire Post Newspapers in four geographic versions and distributed to households in the main urban area of the city,[271]and the regional version ofMetro,which is distributed on buses and at railway stations.

A quirky modern five-storey building with a large sign saying "BBC Yorkshire" in black above the second-floor windows on the white-fronted façade of the lower four floors can be seen on the far side of a dual-carriageway road with a barrier along the central reservation. At right-angles to the right of the building is a tall blue slab with the letters "BBC" in white at the top. The left side of the building is mostly brick-red with a few windows, but above it is a light blue windowless section. The roof above this and the grey fifth floor of the frontage curves gently down to the rear. A lone car is driving from left to right along the road; between it and the building, temporary boards have been erected in front of a building to the left. In the top left-hand corner of the picture, part of a tall many-windowed building can be seen.
BBC Yorkshirestudios

BBCTelevision andITVboth have regional studios and broadcasting centres in Leeds, whileChannel 4opened a new headquarters atthe Majesticin 2020.[272][273]ITV Yorkshire,formerly Yorkshire Television, broadcasts fromthe Leeds Studioson Kirkstall Road. There are a number of independent film production companies, including the not-for-profit cooperative Leeds Animation Workshop, founded in 1978; community video producers Vera Media and several small commercial production companies.BBC Radio Leeds,Hits Radio West Yorkshire,Greatest Hits Radio West Yorkshire,Capital Yorkshire,andHeart Yorkshirebroadcast from the city.LSRfm.comis based inLeeds University Union,and regularly hosts outside broadcasts around the city. Many communities within Leeds now have their own local radio stations, such asEast Leeds FMandTempo FMforWetherbyand the surrounding areas.

Leeds has a local television station calledLeeds TVwhich is required to broadcast 37 hours a week of first-run local programming.[274]The station had launched in 2014 asMade in Leedswhich launched across the city in 2014.[275]

Sport[edit]

Main article:Sport in Leeds
Elland Road Stadium

The city has teams representing all the major national sports.Leeds United F.C.is the city's mainfootballclub, additional clubs includeGuiseley AFC,Farsley Celtic,andGarforth Town. Leeds United was formed in 1919 and plays at the 37,890-capacityElland RoadStadium inBeeston.The team rejoined thePremier League,following a sixteen-year stint in lower divisions, after they won promotion by winning theEFL Championshipin 2019–20, but in thePremier League Season of 2022–2023they got relegated to the Championship again.

Guiseley was formed in 1909 and plays at the 4,000 capacityNethermoor ParkStadium inGuiseley;the team plays in theNorthern Premier League.Farsley Celticwas formed in 1908 and plays in theNational League Northand their stadium isThrostle Nest. Garforth Townwas formed in 1964 and plays in the Northern Counties East League Premier Division; their stadium is Wheatley Park.

Headingley Stadium,home of the Leeds Rhinos

Leeds Rhinosare the most successfulrugby leagueteam in Leeds. In 2009, they became first club to beSuper Leaguechampions three seasons running, giving them their fourth Super League title.[276] They play their home games at theHeadingley Rugby Stadium.Hunslet,based at theJohn Charles Centre for Sport,play in theCo-Operative Championship One.East LeedsandOulton Raidersplay in theNational Conference League.Bramley Buffaloes(previouslyBramley), andLeeds Akkieswere members of theRugby League Conference.

Leeds Tykeswere the foremostrugby unionteam in Leeds and they previously also played at Headingley. They play inNational League 1having been relegated fromRFU Championshipat the end of the 2019–20 season.Otley RUFCare a rugby union club based to the north of the city and compete inNational League 2 North,whilstMorley RFC,located inMorleycurrently play inNational Division Three North.

Headingley Cricket Stadiumis home toYorkshire County Cricket Clubwhich is the most successfulcricketteam in England, with 33County Championshipwins (including one shared). Their main rivals areLancashire.Leeds City Athletic Club competes in theBritish Athletics Leagueand UK Women's League as well as the Northern Athletics League.

Leeds is home to a number offield hockeyclubs that compete in theNorth Hockey League,Yorkshire Hockey Association League,andBUCS leagues.These include Leeds Hockey Club,Leeds Adel Carnegie Hockey Club,theUniversity of LeedsHockey Club, andLeeds Beckett UniversityHockey Club.[277][278]Leeds Hockey Club Men's 1s gained promotion at the end of the 2016–17 season to become Leeds's first hockey team competing in a National League.[279]The City of Leeds Synchronised Swimming Club train at theJohn Charles Centre for Sportand are represented by swimmers throughout the whole of the North East. The club was founded in 2008 and only compete in National and International Competition.[280]

Carnegie Pavilion atHeadingley Stadium

The city has a wealth of sports facilities including theElland Roadfootball stadium, a host stadium during the1996 European Football Championship;theHeadingley Carnegie Stadiums,adjacent stadia world-famous for bothcricketandrugby leagueand theJohn Charles Centre for Sportwith anOlympic-sized poolin its Aquatics Centre[281]and includes a multi-use stadium. Other facilities include the Leeds Wall (climbing) and Yeadon Tarn sailing centre. In 1929 the first Ryder Cup of Golf to be held on British soil was competed for atMoortown Golf Clubin Alwoodley, and Wetherby has aNational Huntracecourse.[282]In the period 1928 to 1939 speedway racing was staged in Leeds on a track at the greyhound stadium known as Fullerton Park, adjacent to Elland Road. The track entered a team in the 1931 Northern league.

The2014 Tour de FranceGrand Départ took place from the Headrow in Leeds city centre on 5 July 2014. Leeds is well known for its divers and features some of the best diving facilities in the UK.City of Leeds Diving Club,who train at theJohn Charles Centre for Sport,has trained many athletes who have competed at international andOlympiclevel, withJack LaugherandChris Mearsmaking history by becoming the first ever divers from Great Britain to win an Olympic gold medal, a feat they accomplished at the2016 Rio Olympics.Leeds has anice hockeyteam, theLeeds Knights(formerly named Leeds Chiefs); they play at the Planet Ice Arena inBeeston, Leeds,in theNational Ice Hockey League.

Teams[edit]

Club Sport League Venue Location Formed Top flight championships
Yorkshire CCC Cricket County Championship Headingley Stadium Headingley 1863 33
Leeds Rhinos Rugby league Super League Headingley Stadium Headingley 1870 11
Leeds United Football EFL Championship Elland RoadStadium Beeston 1919 3
Hunslet Rugby league League 1 John Charles Centre for Sport Hunslet 1883 2
Guiseley Football Northern Premier League Nethermoor Park Guiseley 1909 0
Farsley Celtic Football National League North Throstle NestStadium Farsley 1908 0
Leeds Knights Ice hockey National Ice Hockey League Planet Ice Leeds Beeston 2019 0

Religion[edit]

See also:List of places of worship in the City of Leeds
Leeds Minsterhas been designated aGrade Ilisted buildingbyHistoric England.

Religion in Leeds (2021)[283]

Christianity (42.3%)
No religion (40.2%)
Islam (7.8%)
Sikhism (1.2%)
Hinduism (1.1%)
Judaism (0.8%)
Buddhism (0.4%)
Other religion (0.4%)
Not states (5.8%)

The majority of people in Leeds identify themselves asChristian.[97]Leeds does not have aChurch of EnglandCathedral: it is in theAnglicanDiocese of Leeds(formerly in theDiocese of Ripon and Leeds), headed by theBishop of Leeds,which has cathedrals inBradford,Ripon,andWakefield,although theBishop's residence has been in Leeds since 2008. The most important Anglican church isLeeds Minster,althoughSt. George'shas the largest congregation by far.

Leeds has a Roman CatholicCathedral,theepiscopalseat of theRoman Catholic Diocese of Leeds.Many other Christian denominations and new religious movements are established in Leeds, includingAssemblies of God,Baptist,Christian Scientist,the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,Community of Christ,Greek Orthodox,Jehovah's Witnesses,Jesus Army,Lutheran,Methodist,Moravian,Nazarene,Newfrontiers,Pentecostal,Salvation Army,Seventh-day Adventist,Society of Friends ( "Quakers" ),Unitarian,United Reformed,Vineyard,an ecumenical Chinese church,Winners' Chapel,and several independent churches.[284][285]

Harehills Mosque

The proportion ofMuslimsin Leeds is slightly above average for the country (5.4% as of 2011).[97]Mosquescan be found throughout the city, serving Muslim communities inChapeltown,Harehills,Hyde Parkand parts ofBeeston.The largest mosque isLeeds Grand Mosquein Hyde Park.

TheSikhcommunity is represented bygurdwaras(temples) spread across the city, the largest being inChapeltown.There is also a colourful religious annual procession, called the Nagar Kirtan, intoMillennium Squarein the city centre on 13–14 April to celebrateVaisakhi—the Sikh New Year and the birth of the religion. It is estimated that around 3,000 Sikhs in Leeds take part in this annual event.

Leeds'sJewishcommunity is the third-largest in the United Kingdom, after London and Greater Manchester.[286][287]The areas ofAlwoodleyandMoortowncontain sizeable Jewish populations.[98]There are eight active synagogues in Leeds.[288]TheHinducommunity in Leeds has atemple(mandir) atHyde Park.[289]The temple has all the major Hindu deities and is dedicated to the LordMahaviraof theJains.[290]

VariousBuddhisttraditions are represented in Leeds,[291]including:Soka Gakkai,Theravada,Tibetan,Triratna Buddhist Community,andZen.The Buddhist community (sangha) comes together to celebrate the major festival ofWesakin May. There is also a community of theBaháʼí Faithin Leeds.[292]

Public services[edit]

Water supply andsewerageservices in Leeds are provided byYorkshire Water,part of theKelda Group.Prior to 1973 water and sewerage services had been provided by the Leeds Corporation. Leeds City Council has a target of 11MW of renewable energy from onshore wind by 2010 and an aspirational target of 75MW by 2020. There are currently no operational wind farms in Leeds, but a planning application byBanks Renewables Ltdfor five turbines at Hook Moor, nearMicklefield,was approved in 2011.[293]

The area is policed by theWest Yorkshire Police.The force has five policing districts covering the West Yorkshire area, one of which covers Leeds. The Leeds District Headquarters is located at Elland Road in the south of the city. In the north-west of the city the main stations areWeetwoodand Woodhouse Lane; in the north-east, the main stations are Stainbeck nearChapel AllertonandKillingbeck;in the south the main stations are Leeds Central, located on Park Street in the city centre, and the District Headquarters itself. Fire and rescue services are provided by theWest Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.The fire stations in Leeds are:Cookridge,Gipton,Hunslet,Stanks,Moortown,Stanningley,and the "Leeds" fire station (near the city centre, on Kirkstall Road).

Leeds Central Library

NHS health services are provided by theLeeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust,Leeds Primary Care Trust,[294]and Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust,[295][296]which provides mental health services.Leeds General Infirmary( "LGI" ) is alisted buildingwith more recent additions and is in the city centre.St James's University Hospital,known locally as "Jimmy's",[297][298]is to the north east of the city centre and is the largest teaching hospital in Europe. Other NHS hospitals areChapel Allerton Hospital,Seacroft Hospital,Wharfedale Hospitalin Otley, andLeeds Dental Institute.[299]

West Yorkshire Joint Servicesprovides analytical, archaeological, archives, ecology, materials testing, and trading standards services in Leeds and the other four districts of West Yorkshire. It was created following the abolition of the county council in 1986 and expanded in 1997, and is funded by the five district councils, pro rata to their population. The Leeds site of the archives service is in the former public library atSheepscar,Leeds.[300]Leeds City Councilis responsible for over 50 public libraries across the whole city, including 5 mobile libraries. The mainCentral Libraryis located on theHeadrow,in the city centre.

Freedom of the City[edit]

The following people, military units and organisations and groups have received theFreedom of the Cityof Leeds.

Individuals[edit]

Military units[edit]

Organisations and Groups[edit]

See also[edit]

Notes and references[edit]

Citations[edit]

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Sources[edit]

  1. ^The area that is the subject of this article does not have legal city status itself, but is widely regarded as a city since it is the main and nominate settlement in the City of Leeds local government area
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External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toLeeds.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide forLeeds.
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