Leeds City Centre
Encyclopedia
Leeds city centre is the central business district
of Leeds
, England
. It is within the Leeds Central
parliamentary constituency, represented by Hilary Benn
as MP since a by-election in 1999
. The term central Leeds is often used to describe Leeds city centre, although it refers to a wider area usually defined by the area within the Inner Ring Road, covering areas such as Holbeck and Hunslet. While the city centre has no formal definition, it may be taken as roughly bounded by the Leeds Inner Ring Road
on the north. Many people in the city say it stretches from Woodhouse Lane, to the north, to Holbeck
in the south and from the casinos on Kirkstall Road
in the West to Lincoln Green
to the east. Leeds city centre can arguably be separated roughly into five areas or quarters.
The Civic Quarter is the area at the north of the city centre, roughly north of the Headrow. It is home to the Leeds Magistrates and Crown Courts. Leeds Town Hall
is a prominent landmark which was completed in 1858 and opened by Queen Victoria
. The City Library and City Gallery are next door. Queen Square is also found here. The city's largest hospital, the Leeds General Infirmary
, is also located here and was first opened in 1869.
Behind Leeds Town Hall is Millennium Square and Leeds Civic Hall
, two other prominent Leeds landmarks. Millennium Square was Leeds' flagship project to mark the year 2000 and hosts regular concerts. Past performers have included the Kaiser Chiefs
, Bridewell Taxis' HARD-Fi
, Fall Out Boy
and Embrace
. Leeds Civic Hall was opened in 1933 by King George V
and is home to the Lord Mayor's Room and the council chambers.
Because of its close proximity to the courts, many barrister
s' chambers and solicitor
s' offices are found here. The architecture in the civic quarter is predominantly Victorian
to match the civic buildings. The Civic Quarter also lies in close proximity to the universities of Leeds Metropolitan University
, University of Leeds
and other academic institutions such as Leeds College of Art and the Park Lane and Technology campuses of Leeds City College
The Shopping Quarter is the area which extends south from the Headrow to Boar Lane. Many of city's largest shops are found here. Like any major city the shopping district is home to both major international chains, including Marks & Spencer
(founded in 1884 on a small stall at the city's market), and independent shops. The Corn Exchange
was home to many of these independent shops, however in 2007, the owners of the building, Zurich
, evicted most of them.
Most streets in the Shopping Quarter are connected to Briggate. It is one of many of the main shopping streets and is also home to several national and international food chains, like McDonald's
, Burger King
and Nando's
, and several international shopping chains, including Zara
.
Department stores in Leeds which have historically included Lewis's
, which became Allders
in 1996 and latterly closed in 2005, Schofields
which was taken over by House of Fraser in 1988 and closed in 1996, the Co-op which closed in the mid 1990s, Littlewoods
which closed in the late 1990s and is now occupied by Zara and H&M
, C&A
which closed in 2001 and is currently occupied by Next Clearance (until demolition for construction of the Trinity Quarter) and Marshall & Snelgrove
which became part of Debenhams and closed in the 1970s and lies of the site of Lloyds TSB
on Park Row have disappeared but currently department stores include Debenhams
(historically known as Matthias Robinson), Harvey Nichols
(which when opened in 1996 became the first branch outside of London), Marks and Spencer, BHS and House of Fraser
(formerly a Woolworths
, it temporarily became premises for Schofields and latterly became Rackhams before becoming House of Fraser in 1996).
Off Briggate are several of Leeds' famous shopping arcades, such as the Thornton Arcade and the Victoria Quarter
. Briggate was fully pedestrianised in 1996 and connected the two previously pedestrian areas either side of it. Other shopping attractions include the Corn Exchange, Leeds Kirkgate Market
, Granary Wharfe, Leeds Shopping Plaza
, Headrow Shopping Centre, The Light, the St Johns Centre, the Merrion Centre and Crown Point Retail park which lies half a mile away from the retail core. In addition, two further shopping centres are proposed, namely the Eastgate Quarters
which is to include a John Lewis
department store and Trinity Quarter.
The Cultural Quarter is situated in the east of the city centre. Landmarks here include the BBC
building, which moved from Woodhouse Lane just north of the city centre in August 2004, the West Yorkshire Playhouse
, which opened in March 1990, and the Leeds College of Music
, which moved to its current location in 1997.
The Cultural Quarter is also where the Royal Armouries Museum
(opened in 1996 when the collection was transferred north from its previous location, the Tower of London
) can be found, although it is more in the south of the city centre than it is the east. The building, designed by architect Derek Walker, was built at a cost of £42.5 million and completed in two years, and has since become one of the city's major tourist attractions.
Clarence Dock
also lies on the fringes of the Cultural Quarter.
The Financial Quarter is bounded by Park Row to the East, Leeds Inner Ring Road
to the west, The Headrow to the north and Wellington Street to the south. It is centred around the Georgian Park Square
, one of the green spaces in Leeds city centre. The City Centre Loop passes through the quarter, using City Square
, Quebec Street, King Street and East Parade. Leeds Law School is located at Cloth Hall Court. Major names can be found in the financial quarter such as Aviva
and The Bank of England.
Infirmary Street is a major bus interchange in the financial district. The railway station which lies on the fringes of the financial district also has a bus interchange.
In the areas around Park Square
, some of Leeds' finest Georgian architecture
can be seen; the relative age and small size of the buildings in this part of the financial quarter make it popular with smaller companies, in particular small legal and clerical companies such as solicitors and management consultants.
Although its principal function is as a financial quarter, there are a number of restaurants and hotels. Hotel Metropole, Residence 6, Quebecs Hotel are some of the hotels. Est Est Est, Restaurant Bar and Grill, Wagamama
, Pitcher and Piano, Slug and Lettuce and Loch Fyne Seafood are some of the restaurants, mainly around the East Parade and Park Row areas. Greek Street houses many of the bars in the financial quarter, which are usually open later than the restaurants, however aim more at the clientelle who work in the financial quarter than the 'night out' customer base.
Elsewhere in the city centre
Outside of the city centre, First Direct
have their headquarters
at Stourton
, while HBOS
have major offices in Lovell Park
.
, currently the tallest building in Leeds. However, Bridgewater Place could well be topped by the proposed Lumiere development.
Other major high rise developments include the planned Criterion Place
scheme of 180 metres, the Providence Tower
element of the Green Bank residential scheme and City One both of a planned height of 120 metres, The Plaza student residential tower of about 100-130 metres, and Opal 3, of around 90 metres. The last two are examples of high rise (student housing) development outside the Skyscraper Quarter, both being situated near the Civic Quarter campus of Leeds Metropolitan University
.
the streets of Leeds city centre are decorated with a variety of Christmas lights. The widely publicised switch-on' ceremony is in early November, when a celebrity flicks the switch to illuminate the decorations at Victoria Gardens and usually attracts tens-of-thousands of people to the turning on ceremony. When Leeds Lights were first established in 1983, the switch on was held on the 4th Thursday of November, however it has since been brought forward. The illuminations are renowned as being the largest display in the United Kingdom, spanning over 13 miles of city centre streets and using over 2 million low energy light bulbs.
Leeds is notable for designing, manufacturing and maintaining its own Christmas Light motifs. Leeds City Council is the only local authority to do this; all other displays buy in their lights. The lights are repaired and pressure cleaned annually at the Leeds Lights workshop in Seacroft throughout the year. 80,000 coloured lamps are stored at the workshop, and 2000m of coloured ropelight are used . A team of 14 works all year round producing the display. From October-January, a team of 9 works to erect the lights ready for the switch on in early November, before removing the lights after Christmas.
In recent years, commercial advertising has been permitted on some of the lights, such as The Headrow's champagne bottle lights.
Leeds city centre is served by Leeds railway station. The station is one of 17 in Great Britain to be managed by Network Rail
. It is the busiest English station outside London, and the UK's second busiest station outside London after Glasgow Central. The station serves national, regional and suburban railway services.
. This is situated in Yeadon
approximately seven miles North West of the city centre. The city centre is linked to the airport by the 757 Metro bus service. The airport serves major European destinations as well as many further afield.
, an urban motorway passing the East, North and West of the city centre. Much of the Inner Ring Road is in tunnels so not visible to passing pedestrians. All major routes into Leeds head towards the city centre. The city centre is served by the M621 motorway
.
and funded by Metro
. This service runs every few minutes in a clockwise direction around the city centre. It serves major transport interchanges and both universities as well as the main shopping and financial districts. There have been calls for a second FreeCityBus to serve emerging business, leisure and residential districts in the southern part of central Leeds.
Leeds city centre has its main bus station
in the east of the city. However as a rule only buses heading out of the City of Leeds
and National Express
services use it. Local First Leeds
buses use stops on the city streets, or a number of smaller bus stations, referred to as bus points, at Bond Street, Infirmary Street, Leeds railway station and the Corn Exchange.
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Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is within the Leeds Central
Leeds Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Leeds Central is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
parliamentary constituency, represented by Hilary Benn
Hilary Benn
Hilary James Wedgwood Benn is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Leeds Central since 1999. He served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for International Development from 2003 to 2007 and as the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs...
as MP since a by-election in 1999
Leeds Central by-election, 1999
The Member of Parliament for Leeds Central, the Rt. Hon. Derek Fatchett, died suddenly on 9 May 1999. The Labour Party rushed to organise for the by-election and moved the writ so that the election could be held on 10 June, the same day as elections to the European Parliament.The shortlist for the...
. The term central Leeds is often used to describe Leeds city centre, although it refers to a wider area usually defined by the area within the Inner Ring Road, covering areas such as Holbeck and Hunslet. While the city centre has no formal definition, it may be taken as roughly bounded by the Leeds Inner Ring Road
Leeds Inner Ring Road
The Leeds Inner Ring Road is part-motorway and part-A roads in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which forms a ring road around the city centre. It has six different road numbers that are all sections of longer roads...
on the north. Many people in the city say it stretches from Woodhouse Lane, to the north, to Holbeck
Holbeck
Holbeck is a district in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.The district begins on the southern edge of the Leeds city centre and mainly lies in the LS11 Leeds postcode area. The M1 and M621 motorways used to end/begin in Holbeck. Now the M621 is the only motorway that passes through the area since...
in the south and from the casinos on Kirkstall Road
Kirkstall
Kirkstall is a suburb of north-west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, on the eastern side of the River Aire. To the west is Bramley, to the east is Headingley and to the north is West Park. Kirkstall is around from the city centre and is close to the University of Leeds and Leeds Metropolitan...
in the West to Lincoln Green
Burmantofts
Burmantofts is an area of 1960s high-rise housing blocks in inner-city east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England adjacent to the city centre and St. James's Hospital. It is a racially diverse area, with sizable Afro-Caribbean and Irish communities, but suffers the social problems typical of similar areas...
to the east. Leeds city centre can arguably be separated roughly into five areas or quarters.
Civic Quarter
Leeds Town Hall
Leeds Town Hall was built between 1853 and 1858 on Park Lane , Leeds, West Yorkshire, England to a design by architect Cuthbert Brodrick.-Background:...
is a prominent landmark which was completed in 1858 and opened by Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
. The City Library and City Gallery are next door. Queen Square is also found here. The city's largest hospital, the Leeds General Infirmary
Leeds General Infirmary
Leeds General Infirmary, also known as the LGI or, more correctly, The General Infirmary at Leeds, is a large teaching hospital based in the centre of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England and is part of the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust....
, is also located here and was first opened in 1869.
Behind Leeds Town Hall is Millennium Square and Leeds Civic Hall
Leeds Civic Hall
Leeds Civic Hall is a civic building housing Leeds City Council, located in Millennium Square, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The design was the result of a competition held in 1926, which was won by Vincent Harris...
, two other prominent Leeds landmarks. Millennium Square was Leeds' flagship project to mark the year 2000 and hosts regular concerts. Past performers have included the Kaiser Chiefs
Kaiser Chiefs
Kaiser Chiefs are an English indie rock band from Leeds who formed in 1996. They were named after the South African football club Kaizer Chiefs....
, Bridewell Taxis' HARD-Fi
HARD-Fi
Hard-Fi are an English indie rock band formed in Staines, Surrey in 2003. The band's members are Richard Archer , Ross Phillips , Kai Stephens and Steve Kemp .They achieved chart success with their third single, "Hard to Beat" and then followed by other successful singles such as...
, Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy is an American rock band from Wilmette, Illinois, formed in 2001. The band consists of vocalist, guitarist and composer Patrick Stump, bassist and lyricist Pete Wentz, guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hurley. The band released five studio albums from 2003–2008...
and Embrace
Embrace (UK band)
Embrace are an English post-Britpop band from Bailiff Bridge, Brighouse, West Yorkshire. To date they have released five studio albums, one singles album and one B-sides compilation. The band consists of brothers singer Danny McNamara and guitarist Richard McNamara, bassist Steve Firth,...
. Leeds Civic Hall was opened in 1933 by King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
and is home to the Lord Mayor's Room and the council chambers.
Because of its close proximity to the courts, many barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
s' chambers and solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
s' offices are found here. The architecture in the civic quarter is predominantly Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
to match the civic buildings. The Civic Quarter also lies in close proximity to the universities of Leeds Metropolitan University
Leeds Metropolitan University
Leeds Metropolitan University is a British University with three campuses. Two are situated in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England while the third is situated in Bhopal, India...
, University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
and other academic institutions such as Leeds College of Art and the Park Lane and Technology campuses of Leeds City College
Leeds City College
Leeds City College is the largest Further education establishment in the City of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, with around 57,000 students, 2,300 staff and an annual turnover of £78 million. It officially opened on 1 April 2009...
Shopping Quarter
Marks & Spencer
Marks and Spencer plc is a British retailer headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, with over 700 stores in the United Kingdom and over 300 stores spread across more than 40 countries. It specialises in the selling of clothing and luxury food products...
(founded in 1884 on a small stall at the city's market), and independent shops. The Corn Exchange
Leeds Corn Exchange
The Leeds Corn Exchange is a Victorian building in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which was designed by Cuthbert Brodrick and completed in 1864...
was home to many of these independent shops, however in 2007, the owners of the building, Zurich
Zurich Financial Services
Zurich Financial Services AG is a major financial services group based in Zurich, Switzerland.-History:The Company was founded in 1872 as subsidiary of the Schweiz Marine Insurance Company under the name Versicherung Verein...
, evicted most of them.
Most streets in the Shopping Quarter are connected to Briggate. It is one of many of the main shopping streets and is also home to several national and international food chains, like McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
, Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
and Nando's
Nando's
Nando's is a casual dining restaurant group originating from South Africa with a Portuguese/Mozambican theme. Founded in 1987, Nando's operates in thirty countries on five continents....
, and several international shopping chains, including Zara
Zara (clothing)
Zara is a Spanish clothing and accessories retailer based in Arteixo, Galicia, and founded in 1975 by Amancio Ortega and Rosalía Mera. It is the flagship chain store of the Inditex group; the fashion group also owns brands such as Massimo Dutti, Pull and Bear, Oysho, Uterqüe, Stradivarius and...
.
Department stores in Leeds which have historically included Lewis's
Lewis's
Lewis's was a large department store in Liverpool city centre. It was formerly the flagship of a chain of department stores under the Lewis's name, that operated from 1856 to 1991, when the company went into administration. Several stores in the chain were bought by the company Owen Owen and...
, which became Allders
Allders
Allders is an independent department store in Croydon, established by Joshua Allder in 1862. It is the fourth-largest department store in the United Kingdom.The Croydon store was the flagship of a large chain of department stores in the UK...
in 1996 and latterly closed in 2005, Schofields
Schofields (department store)
Schofields was a department store that operated on The Headrow in Leeds, England from 1901 to 1996. For much of the 20th century Schofields, alongside rival Lewis's, was regarded as being the pinnacle of shopping in Leeds city centre....
which was taken over by House of Fraser in 1988 and closed in 1996, the Co-op which closed in the mid 1990s, Littlewoods
Littlewoods
Littlewoods is the name of a former retail and gambling company founded in Liverpool, Merseyside, England by John Moores in 1923.It started as a shopping catalogue company, processing orders by post in the early 1970s. In 1981, it expanded to a call centre, processing orders via telephone. At its...
which closed in the late 1990s and is now occupied by Zara and H&M
H&M
H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB is a Swedish retail-clothing company, known for its fast-fashion clothing offerings for women, men, teenagers and children....
, C&A
C&A
C&A is an international chain of fashion retail clothing stores, with its European head offices in Vilvoorde , Belgium and Düsseldorf, Germany...
which closed in 2001 and is currently occupied by Next Clearance (until demolition for construction of the Trinity Quarter) and Marshall & Snelgrove
Marshall & Snelgrove
Marshall & Snelgrove was a department store on the north side of Oxford Street, London, on the corner with Vere Street founded by James Marshall. The company is now part of Debenhams.-History:...
which became part of Debenhams and closed in the 1970s and lies of the site of Lloyds TSB
Lloyds TSB
Lloyds TSB Bank Plc is a retail bank in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1995 by the merger of Lloyds Bank, established in Birmingham, England in 1765 and traditionally considered one of the Big Four clearing banks, with the TSB Group which traces its origins to 1810...
on Park Row have disappeared but currently department stores include Debenhams
Debenhams
Debenhams plc is a British retailer operating under a department store format in the UK, Ireland and Denmark, and franchise stores in other countries. The Company was founded in the eighteenth century as a single store in London and has now grown to around 160 shops...
(historically known as Matthias Robinson), Harvey Nichols
Harvey Nichols
Harvey Nichols, founded in 1813, is an upmarket department store chain. Its original store is in London. Founded in 1813 as a linen shop, it sells many international brands of clothing for women and men, fashion accessories, beauty products, wine and food...
(which when opened in 1996 became the first branch outside of London), Marks and Spencer, BHS and House of Fraser
House of Fraser
House of Fraser is a British department store group with over 60 stores across the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established in Glasgow, Scotland in 1849 as Arthur and Fraser. By 1891 it was known as Fraser & Sons. The company grew steadily during the early 20th century, but after the Second...
(formerly a Woolworths
Woolworths Group
Woolworths Group plc was a listed British company that owned the high-street retail chain, Woolworths, as well as other brands such as the entertainment distributor Entertainment UK and book and resource distributor Bertram Books...
, it temporarily became premises for Schofields and latterly became Rackhams before becoming House of Fraser in 1996).
Off Briggate are several of Leeds' famous shopping arcades, such as the Thornton Arcade and the Victoria Quarter
Victoria Quarter
The Victoria Quarter is an upmarket shopping area in Leeds, England. It consists of three blocks situated between Briggate and Vicar Lane, comprising the County Arcade, Cross Arcade, Queen Victoria Street and King Edward Street....
. Briggate was fully pedestrianised in 1996 and connected the two previously pedestrian areas either side of it. Other shopping attractions include the Corn Exchange, Leeds Kirkgate Market
Leeds Kirkgate Market
Leeds Kirkgate Market is a market in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England located on Vicar Lane. It is the largest covered market in Europe. There are currently 800 stalls which attract over 100,000 visitors a week.-History:...
, Granary Wharfe, Leeds Shopping Plaza
Leeds Shopping Plaza
The Leeds Shopping Plaza is a shopping centre in Leeds, England surrounded by the streets of Bond Street, Albion Street, Boar Lane and Lower Basinghall Street...
, Headrow Shopping Centre, The Light, the St Johns Centre, the Merrion Centre and Crown Point Retail park which lies half a mile away from the retail core. In addition, two further shopping centres are proposed, namely the Eastgate Quarters
Eastgate Quarters
Eastgate Quarters, formerly known as the Harewood and Eastgate Quarters, is a planned €650 million retail development in Leeds, England which is planned to open in 2015. It is a project development by Hammerson....
which is to include a John Lewis
John Lewis Partnership
The John Lewis Partnership is an employee-owned UK partnership which operates John Lewis department stores, Waitrose supermarkets and a number of other services...
department store and Trinity Quarter.
Cultural Quarter
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
building, which moved from Woodhouse Lane just north of the city centre in August 2004, the West Yorkshire Playhouse
West Yorkshire Playhouse
The West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds, England is a theatre which opened in March 1990 as part of the regeneration of the Quarry Hill area of the city...
, which opened in March 1990, and the Leeds College of Music
Leeds College of Music
Leeds College of Music, located in Leeds’ Quarry Hill cultural quarter, is the largest music college in the United Kingdom, with over 1,000 full-time and 1,000 part-time students. The college is best known for its leading role in jazz education and started one of the first jazz degrees in Europe...
, which moved to its current location in 1997.
The Cultural Quarter is also where the Royal Armouries Museum
Royal Armouries
The Royal Armouries is the United Kingdom's National Museum of Arms and Armour. It is the United Kingdom's oldest museum, and one of the oldest museums in the world. It is also one of the largest collections of arms and armour in the world, comprising the UK's National Collection of Arms and...
(opened in 1996 when the collection was transferred north from its previous location, the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
) can be found, although it is more in the south of the city centre than it is the east. The building, designed by architect Derek Walker, was built at a cost of £42.5 million and completed in two years, and has since become one of the city's major tourist attractions.
Clarence Dock
Clarence Dock (Leeds)
Clarence Dock is a shopping and leisure destination in central Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It also hosts a large residential population in waterside apartments, as well as a significant office presence....
also lies on the fringes of the Cultural Quarter.
Financial Quarter
Leeds Inner Ring Road
The Leeds Inner Ring Road is part-motorway and part-A roads in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which forms a ring road around the city centre. It has six different road numbers that are all sections of longer roads...
to the west, The Headrow to the north and Wellington Street to the south. It is centred around the Georgian Park Square
Park Square, Leeds
Park Square is a Georgian public square in Leeds, it is one of four notable squares in Leeds city centre, the square is grassed over and is a traditional Georgian park...
, one of the green spaces in Leeds city centre. The City Centre Loop passes through the quarter, using City Square
Leeds City Square
City Square is a paved open area in Leeds city centre in West Yorkshire, England.In 1897, the Leeds city council of the time wanted to improve the open space near to the Post Office and in 1899 work was completed. The city square was enhanced with the erection of statues, the grandest being the...
, Quebec Street, King Street and East Parade. Leeds Law School is located at Cloth Hall Court. Major names can be found in the financial quarter such as Aviva
Aviva
Aviva plc is a global insurance company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the sixth-largest insurance company in the world measured by net premium income and has 53 million customers in 28 countries...
and The Bank of England.
Infirmary Street is a major bus interchange in the financial district. The railway station which lies on the fringes of the financial district also has a bus interchange.
In the areas around Park Square
Park Square, Leeds
Park Square is a Georgian public square in Leeds, it is one of four notable squares in Leeds city centre, the square is grassed over and is a traditional Georgian park...
, some of Leeds' finest Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
can be seen; the relative age and small size of the buildings in this part of the financial quarter make it popular with smaller companies, in particular small legal and clerical companies such as solicitors and management consultants.
Although its principal function is as a financial quarter, there are a number of restaurants and hotels. Hotel Metropole, Residence 6, Quebecs Hotel are some of the hotels. Est Est Est, Restaurant Bar and Grill, Wagamama
Wagamama
Wagamama is a British-headquartered restaurant chain, serving pan-Asian food in the style of a modern Japanese Ramen bar.-History:Created by Alan Yau, who subsequently created the Chinese restaurants Hakkasan and Yauatcha in London, the first Wagamama opened in 1992 off Gower Street in...
, Pitcher and Piano, Slug and Lettuce and Loch Fyne Seafood are some of the restaurants, mainly around the East Parade and Park Row areas. Greek Street houses many of the bars in the financial quarter, which are usually open later than the restaurants, however aim more at the clientelle who work in the financial quarter than the 'night out' customer base.
Financial companies with major offices in the city centre
Within the Financial Quarter- The Bank of England
- AvivaAvivaAviva plc is a global insurance company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the sixth-largest insurance company in the world measured by net premium income and has 53 million customers in 28 countries...
- Zurich Financial ServicesZurich Financial ServicesZurich Financial Services AG is a major financial services group based in Zurich, Switzerland.-History:The Company was founded in 1872 as subsidiary of the Schweiz Marine Insurance Company under the name Versicherung Verein...
- Leeds Building SocietyLeeds Building SocietyLeeds Building Society was established as the Leeds and Holbeck Building Society in 1875 and is now the 5th largest in the UK and serves approximately 650,000 customers. The society was renamed to Leeds Building Society in September 2005. It has 70 branches across the UK, with 29 located in...
- Lloyds TSBLloyds TSBLloyds TSB Bank Plc is a retail bank in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1995 by the merger of Lloyds Bank, established in Birmingham, England in 1765 and traditionally considered one of the Big Four clearing banks, with the TSB Group which traces its origins to 1810...
Elsewhere in the city centre
- KPMGKPMGKPMG is one of the largest professional services networks in the world and one of the Big Four auditors, along with Deloitte, Ernst & Young and PwC. Its global headquarters is located in Amstelveen, Netherlands....
- Direct LineDirect LineDirect Line is part of the RBS Insurance division of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group that specialises in selling insurance and other financial services over the phone and internet....
- Yorkshire BankYorkshire BankYorkshire Bank is a commercial bank in England and Wales, a division of Clydesdale Bank, which in turn is a subsidiary of National Australia Bank. It mostly operates in the North of England, especially in Yorkshire. In 2006 underlying profit rose 16.7 per cent to £454 million compared with a...
Outside of the city centre, First Direct
First Direct
First Direct is a telephone and internet-based retail bank in the United Kingdom, a division of HSBC Bank plc. First Direct has headquarters in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, and has 1.16 million customers....
have their headquarters
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
at Stourton
Stourton, West Yorkshire
Stourton is a mainly industrial area of the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.The area is 2 miles to the south east of Leeds city centre and lies between Hunslet, the M1 motorway and Cross Green in the LS10 postcode area....
, while HBOS
HBOS
HBOS plc is a banking and insurance company in the United Kingdom, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Lloyds Banking Group having been taken over in January 2009...
have major offices in Lovell Park
Lovell Park
Lovell Park is an inner-city area of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.Lovell Park along with its adjacent areas Little London and Blenheim, is an area of 1960s high-rise and maisonette council housing situated between the city centre and Sheepscar....
.
Skyscraper Quarter
The Skyscraper Quarter is the location for much of the extensive building works currently in Leeds. It is the area south of Boar Lane. Many of the city's tallest buildings can be found here, such as Bridgewater PlaceBridgewater Place
Bridgewater Place, nicknamed The Dalek, is an office and residential skyscraper development in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is the tallest building in Yorkshire, and has held this record since being topped out in September 2005...
, currently the tallest building in Leeds. However, Bridgewater Place could well be topped by the proposed Lumiere development.
Other major high rise developments include the planned Criterion Place
Criterion Place
Criterion Place was a proposed skyscraper development in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. In July 2008 it was announced that the project is to be cancelled owing to the property market slump.- Background :...
scheme of 180 metres, the Providence Tower
Providence Tower
The Providence Tower is a 57-floor tower currently Approved for construction in the Dubai International Financial Centre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.-External links:*...
element of the Green Bank residential scheme and City One both of a planned height of 120 metres, The Plaza student residential tower of about 100-130 metres, and Opal 3, of around 90 metres. The last two are examples of high rise (student housing) development outside the Skyscraper Quarter, both being situated near the Civic Quarter campus of Leeds Metropolitan University
Leeds Metropolitan University
Leeds Metropolitan University is a British University with three campuses. Two are situated in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England while the third is situated in Bhopal, India...
.
Leeds Lights
Each ChristmasChristmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
the streets of Leeds city centre are decorated with a variety of Christmas lights. The widely publicised switch-on' ceremony is in early November, when a celebrity flicks the switch to illuminate the decorations at Victoria Gardens and usually attracts tens-of-thousands of people to the turning on ceremony. When Leeds Lights were first established in 1983, the switch on was held on the 4th Thursday of November, however it has since been brought forward. The illuminations are renowned as being the largest display in the United Kingdom, spanning over 13 miles of city centre streets and using over 2 million low energy light bulbs.
Leeds is notable for designing, manufacturing and maintaining its own Christmas Light motifs. Leeds City Council is the only local authority to do this; all other displays buy in their lights. The lights are repaired and pressure cleaned annually at the Leeds Lights workshop in Seacroft throughout the year. 80,000 coloured lamps are stored at the workshop, and 2000m of coloured ropelight are used . A team of 14 works all year round producing the display. From October-January, a team of 9 works to erect the lights ready for the switch on in early November, before removing the lights after Christmas.
In recent years, commercial advertising has been permitted on some of the lights, such as The Headrow's champagne bottle lights.
Celebrities who turned on the Leeds Christmas lights
- 2010 — McFly, Shayne WardShayne WardShayne Thomas Ward is an English pop singer who rose to fame as the winner of second series of The X Factor. He has sold over 3 million records worldwide and has had number one albums and singles in 9 countries.During The X Factor competition, Ward was mentored by manager Louis Walsh...
- 2009 — Pixie LottPixie LottVictoria Louise "Pixie" Lott is an English singer-songwriter, dancer and actress. Her debut single "Mama Do" was released in June 2009 and went straight to number one in the UK Singles Chart. Her second single "Boys and Girls", also topped the UK charts in September 2009. Her debut album Turn It...
, Mini VivaMini VivaMini Viva were an English pop duo formed in 2008 by British songwriting and production team Xenomania. They were managed by 19 Entertainment and signed to Geffen and Polydor Records. Consisting of Frankee Connolly and Britt Love, the duo were due to release their debut album in 2010...
, Girls Can't CatchGirls Can't CatchGirls Can't Catch were a British girl group. Their debut single "Keep Your Head Up" entered the UK Singles Chart at number 26. Their second single "Echo" was released on 18 January 2010, debuting at number 19 on the UK Top 40 singles chart. The band was dropped by their record company, Polydor...
with guest appearances from Lorraine KellyLorraine KellyLorraine Kelly is a Scottish television presenter, journalist and actress, best known as a presenter for TV-am, and later GMTV and ITV Breakfast, on Lorraine.-Early life:...
and members of LUFC and Leeds RhinosLeeds RhinosLeeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
. - 2008 — Leon JacksonLeon JacksonLeon Jackson is a Scottish singer-songwriter. He won the fourth series of British talent show The X Factor in 2007. Following his win, Jackson was the main star of his on-web series entitled Leon's Life, which ran from 2007 until 2008...
, Alesha DixonAlesha DixonAlesha Anjanette Dixon is an English singer-songwriter, dancer, model and television personality. She first found fame in the all-female R&B trio Mis-Teeq, however, the trio separated in 2005 and Dixon continued pursuing her music career as a solo artist, signing to Polydor Records...
, Simon WebbeSimon WebbeSimon Solomon Webbe is an English singer-songwriter, actor and music manager. He is best known as a member of the British boyband Blue.-2001–2005: Early Career And Blue:...
and Same DifferenceSame DifferenceSame Difference can refer to:* Same Difference, a British singing duo* Same Difference , an album by Swedish death metal band Entombed* Same Difference , a show which aired on Channel 4...
. - 2007 — Shayne WardShayne WardShayne Thomas Ward is an English pop singer who rose to fame as the winner of second series of The X Factor. He has sold over 3 million records worldwide and has had number one albums and singles in 9 countries.During The X Factor competition, Ward was mentored by manager Louis Walsh...
, Dick and DomDick and DomDick and Dom are a children's comic double act consisting of the presenters Richard McCourt and Dominic Wood. They are primarily known for presenting children's television, such as Dick and Dom in da Bungalow for 5 series between 2002 - 2006...
, ChicoChico SlimaniYousseph "Chico" Slimani is a Welsh born singer of Moroccan descent who rose to prominence in the United Kingdom after reaching the quarter-finals of the 2005 series of the talent show The X Factor. In 2006, he had a number 1 hit on the British charts entitled "It's Chico Time"...
. - 2006 — McFly (Gaynor FayeGaynor FayeGaynor Faye is an English actress. She is famous for playing the role of Judy Mallett in the British soap opera Coronation Street from 1995 until 1999...
and Jane TomlinsonJane TomlinsonJane Emily Tomlinson, CBE was an amateur English athlete who became well known in the United Kingdom for raising £1.85 million for charity by completing a series of athletic challenges, despite suffering from terminal cancer.Having had treatment for breast cancer in 1991, aged 26; the disease...
also appeared) - 2005 — Rachel StevensRachel StevensRachel Lauren Stevens is an English singer-songwriter, actress, presenter, dancer, television personality and model. She is a former member of the successful pop group S Club, and launched a solo recording career in 2003, releasing seven singles and two albums in the UK between 2003 and 2005...
and the Lovebites with Nicki Chapman presenting. - 2004 — Chris MoylesChris MoylesChristopher David Moyles is an English radio and television presenter and author, who currently presents The Chris Moyles Show on BBC Radio 1 and Chris Moyles' Quiz Night on Channel 4....
and Girls AloudGirls AloudGirls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor... - 2003 — Phill JupitusPhill JupitusPhillip Christopher Jupitus is an English stand-up and improvised comedian, actor, performance poet, musician and podcaster....
Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
. It is the busiest English station outside London, and the UK's second busiest station outside London after Glasgow Central. The station serves national, regional and suburban railway services.
Air
The city centre is served by Leeds Bradford International AirportLeeds Bradford International Airport
Leeds Bradford International Airport is located at Yeadon, in the City of Leeds Metropolitan District in West Yorkshire, England, northwest of Leeds city centre itself...
. This is situated in Yeadon
Yeadon, West Yorkshire
Yeadon is a town within the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, in West Yorkshire, England. It is home to Leeds Bradford International Airport.-History:...
approximately seven miles North West of the city centre. The city centre is linked to the airport by the 757 Metro bus service. The airport serves major European destinations as well as many further afield.
Road
Traffic passing past Leeds city centre is diverted away from the main areas by the Leeds Inner Ring RoadLeeds Inner Ring Road
The Leeds Inner Ring Road is part-motorway and part-A roads in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which forms a ring road around the city centre. It has six different road numbers that are all sections of longer roads...
, an urban motorway passing the East, North and West of the city centre. Much of the Inner Ring Road is in tunnels so not visible to passing pedestrians. All major routes into Leeds head towards the city centre. The city centre is served by the M621 motorway
M621 motorway
The M621 motorway is a short loop of motorway in England that takes traffic into central Leeds between the M1 and M62 motorways. It is the second longest motorway in the United Kingdom to carry a three digit number although it carries more junctions than any other three digit motorway within the...
.
Buses
The most notable bus service within central Leeds is the FreeCityBus service operated by First LeedsFirst Leeds
First Leeds is one of the bus companies serving the area of West Yorkshire, England. It forms part of FirstGroup, a company operating transport services across the British Isles and in North America...
and funded by Metro
West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive
The West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive is the Passenger Transport Executive for the county of West Yorkshire, England. It is the executive arm of the West Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority and was originally formed on 1 April 1974 as the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport...
. This service runs every few minutes in a clockwise direction around the city centre. It serves major transport interchanges and both universities as well as the main shopping and financial districts. There have been calls for a second FreeCityBus to serve emerging business, leisure and residential districts in the southern part of central Leeds.
Leeds city centre has its main bus station
Leeds City bus station
Leeds City bus station serves the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The bus station is owned and managed by Metro. It is situated between the Quarry Hill and Leeds City Markets areas of Leeds city centre...
in the east of the city. However as a rule only buses heading out of the City of Leeds
City of Leeds
The City of Leeds is a local government district of West Yorkshire, England, governed by Leeds City Council, with the status of a city and metropolitan borough. The metropolitan district includes Leeds and the towns of Farsley, Garforth, Guiseley, Horsforth, Morley, Otley, Pudsey, Rothwell,...
and National Express
National Express
National Express Coaches, more commonly known as National Express, is a brand and company, owned by the National Express Group, under which the majority of long distance bus and coach services in Great Britain are operated,...
services use it. Local First Leeds
First Leeds
First Leeds is one of the bus companies serving the area of West Yorkshire, England. It forms part of FirstGroup, a company operating transport services across the British Isles and in North America...
buses use stops on the city streets, or a number of smaller bus stations, referred to as bus points, at Bond Street, Infirmary Street, Leeds railway station and the Corn Exchange.
Location grid
Further reading
- Burt S. and Grady K. (2002 – 2nd edition) The Illustrated History of Leeds, Breedon Books, Derby
- Fraser D. (ed.) (1980) A History of Modern Leeds, Manchester University Press, Manchester
- Unsworth R. and Stillwell J. (eds.) (2004) Twenty-First Century Leeds: Geographies of a Regional City, Leeds University Press, Leeds; Sixteen Chapters about the Contemporary City; 160 maps, many photos
- Wrathmell S. (2005), Leeds, Pevsner Architectural Guides, Yale University Press, London
External links
- 'Leeds Initiative' Leeds Initiative city partnership.
- Leeds City Council
- 'Leeds, Live it, Love it' Official city website, for visitors, business, students and residents.
- Leeds Local History Wiki Add your memories of Leeds.