102-444: Wortley ( / ˈ w ɜː t l i / WURT -lee ) is an inner city area of Leeds , West Yorkshire , England. It begins one mile to the west of the city centre . The appropriate City of Leeds ward is called Farnley and Wortley. It was known as Wirkelay until about 1700. Wortley was a weaving township within the parish of Leeds before it became industrial with coal pits, brickworks , railway yards and engine sheds —including
204-537: A county borough in 1889, giving it independence from the newly formed West Riding County Council and it gained city status in 1893. In 1904 the Leeds parish absorbed Beeston , Chapel Allerton , Farnley , Headingley cum Burley and Potternewton from within the borough. In the twentieth century the county borough initiated a series of significant territorial expansions, growing from 21,593 acres (87.38 km ) in 1911 to 40,612 acres (164.35 km ) in 1961. In 1912
306-478: A roundhouse , on Wellington Road. This listed building , originally constructed to house a dozen or so steam locomotives, is now the premises of a major commercial vehicle hire company. In the 1880s, Wortley became incorporated into the expanding (then) town of Leeds. Wortley is divided into three areas: New Wortley , Upper Wortley and Lower Wortley . New Wortley is the area closest to Leeds city centre, Armley and Holbeck and close to HM Prison Leeds . It
408-462: 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. The introduction of the electric tramway led to intensification of development in Headingley and Potternewton and expansion outside the borough into Roundhay. Two private gas supply companies were taken over by
510-553: A children's playground, a skateboard park, three bowling greens and a number of pitches are marked out for football and rugby. The bowling greens and club building were a major filming location for the four-part Yorkshire Television comedy drama the Beiderbecke Connection , broadcast in 1988. Other brief scenes were filmed in the locality, including on Colmore Grove and Highfield Avenue. Cliffe Park and Western Flatts Park form one large park, though they were once
612-457: A climate that is oceanic ( 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. July is the warmest month, with a mean temperature of 16 °C (61 °F), while
714-426: 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
816-488: A continuously built-up area extending to Pudsey, Bramley, Horsforth, Alwoodley, Seacroft, Middleton and Morley. Leeds has the second highest population of any local authority district in the UK (after Birmingham ), and the second greatest area of any English metropolitan district (after Doncaster ), extending 15 miles (24 km) from east to west, and 13 miles (21 km) from north to south. The northern boundary follows
918-622: A county council, so Leeds City Council is the primary provider of local government services for the city. The district is in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. Most of the district is an unparished area . In the unparished area, there is no lower tier of government. Outside the unparished area, there are 31 civil parishes, represented by parish councils . These are the lowest tier of local government and absorb some limited functions from Leeds City Council in their areas. The district
1020-462: A discussion of an altar surviving from a church erected by Edwin 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 a Loiner , a word of uncertain origin. The term Leodensian is also used, from the city's Latin name. Leeds developed as a market town in the Middle Ages as part of
1122-604: A distribution centre for the Leeds North and West Foodbank . Wortley has one high school, Dixons Unity Academy , based at the former West Leeds High School site. Close by, in Old Farnley, is The Farnley Academy , and further west, in Pudsey, is Crawshaw Academy . The former Wortley High School (which merged with West Leeds High) is awaiting redevelopment, while the listed former West Leeds Boys' High School building
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#17327871266021224-465: A fuel poverty scheme the homes were connected to gas. Lower Wortley and Upper Wortley saw less development than New Wortley with many of their larger Victorian through terracing still remaining and the redevelopment largely being undertaken by private developers who favoured low rise developments using more traditional methods of construction. Between 1851 and 1852 the bones of the Armley Hippo ,
1326-611: A great northern hippopotamus now extinct in the United Kingdom, was found in the ancient former southern channel of the River Aire, in an area previously part of Wortley, where the Armley Gyratory now stands. Wortley is largely a residential area, with a fairly high population density. Although it is close to Leeds City Centre and Armley Town Street, there are still many parades of smaller local shops and there
1428-526: A large campus here. Leeds Dock is the city's southern Cultural Quarter. It is where the Royal Armouries Museum can be found, the building was designed by architect Derek Walker and built at a cost of £42.5 million over two years. The museum has since become one of the city's major tourist attractions. The Financial Quarter is bounded by Park Row to the East, Leeds Inner Ring Road to
1530-554: A number of grand Victorian buildings that are important in the civic life of the city. Prominent institutes include Leeds Magistrates' and Crown Courts, Leeds Library , Leeds Art Gallery , Leeds Civic Hall and Leeds Town Hall . The town hall was completed in 1858 and opened by Queen Victoria . Leeds Civic Hall opened in 1933 by King George V and is home to the Lord Mayor's Room and the council chambers. Many barristers ' chambers and solicitors' offices are found here because of
1632-569: A part of the Victoria Quarter , is enclosed under a glass roof. Millennium Square is a significant urban focal point. Inner and southern areas of Leeds lie on a layer of coal measure sandstones forming the Yorkshire Coalfield . To the north parts are built on older sandstone and gritstones and to the east it extends into the magnesian limestone belt. Outside Leeds centre, there are a number of suburbs and exurbs within
1734-562: A place to provide people with disabilities some employment opportunities. Its workshop has had several locations, beginning in a temporary location near Chapeltown Road, then to the old disused Whitbread Brewery site at Kirkstall and from 1993 to the present Seacroft location. Leeds City Council was the only local authority to do this for some years but now a small number have followed Leeds Lights example in preparing their own displays where as most other councils buy in their lights and services. The lights are repaired and pressure cleaned annually at
1836-403: 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). It is bounded by, and physically attached to, the other towns of Garforth to the east, Morley to the southwest and Pudsey to the west, all being within the wider borough. 63% of the borough's population of 751,485 live in
1938-868: A similar trend to the rest of England. The population density was 1,967/km (5,090/sq mi) 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. According to figures from the 2011 UK Census , 85.0% of the population was White (81.1% White British , 0.9% White Irish , 0.1% Gypsy or Irish Traveller , 2.9% Other White ), 2.7% of mixed 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% Arab and 0.6% of other ethnic heritage. Leeds has seen many new different countries of birth as of
2040-493: A small area just to the south east of the city centre, 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
2142-468: A surge of 130,000 people enter its doors on the first day of opening. Costing £350 million, and creating 3,000 jobs, this was a major development for Leeds. It was the only major retail development to open in the UK in 2013. It covers 1,000,000 sq ft (92,900 sq m) with has a capacity for 120 shops and numerous pop-up shops . The Calls is close to the River Aire . The area's decline began in
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#17327871266022244-487: 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
2346-630: Is a city in West Yorkshire , England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough , which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom . It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines . The city was a small manorial borough in the 13th century and a market town in
2448-560: Is above regional averages. At the time of the United 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
2550-421: Is achieved by restricting inappropriate development within the designated areas, and imposing stricter conditions on permitted building. 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
2652-543: Is almost entirely made up of the Leeds post town . Otley, Wetherby, Tadcaster, Pudsey and Ilkley are separate post towns within the postcode area. Leeds is within a green belt region that extends into the wider surrounding counties and is in place to reduce urban sprawl , prevent the settlements in the West Yorkshire conurbation from further convergence, protect the identity of outlying communities, encourage brownfield reuse, and preserve nearby countryside. This
2754-550: Is also ranked as a high sufficiency city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network . Leeds is considered the cultural, financial and commercial heart of the West Yorkshire Urban Area . Leeds is also served by four universities, and has the fourth largest student population in the country and the country's fourth largest urban economy . The student population has stimulated growth of
2856-590: Is an ASDA supermarket in Upper Wortley. There are about 12 pubs, and although there are no restaurants there are numerous take-away establishments. There are three main parks: Wortley Recreation Ground , Cliffe Park and Western Flatts Park Wortley Recreation Ground is closest to the City Centre, and offers surprisingly good views of surrounding areas, including the City Centre. Often also referred to as New Worley Recreation Ground, it includes
2958-453: Is in the banking, finance and insurance sectors that Leeds differs most from the financial structure of the region and the nation. 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
3060-438: Is largely made up of 1960s high-rise flats and maisonettes. Upper Wortley is situated between Armley and Lower Wortley; specifically between the boundaries of Tong Road to the north and Oldfield Lane/ Green Hill Lane to the south. It consists of a variety of Victorian terraces, 1950s semi-detached houses and modern low-rise flats and houses. Lower Wortley is furthest from the city centre, closer to Gildersome , Farnley and
3162-465: Is located on the River Aire in a narrow section of the Aire Valley in the eastern foothills of the Pennines . The city centre lies at about 206 feet (63 m) above sea level while the district ranges from 1,115 feet (340 m) in the far west on the slopes of Ilkley Moor to about 33 feet (10 m) where the rivers Aire and Wharfe cross the eastern boundary. The centre of Leeds is part of
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3264-472: 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 at Leeds City railway station . Leeds forms the main area of the City of Leeds metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire. This district includes Leeds itself as well as surrounding towns of Horsforth , Morley , Otley , Pudsey , Rothwell and Wetherby , Leeds
3366-696: Is represented by ten MPs , for the constituencies of Leeds Central and Headingley ( Alex Sobel , Labour) ; Leeds East ( Richard Burgon , Labour); Leeds North East ( Fabian Hamilton , Labour); Leeds North West ( Katie White , Labour); Leeds South ( Hilary Benn , Labour); Leeds South West and Morley ( Mark Sewards , Labour); Leeds West and Pudsey ( Rachel Reeves , Labour); Selby (constituency shared with North Yorkshire ) ( Keir Mather , Labour); Wakefield and Rothwell (constituency shared with City of Wakefield ) ( Simon Lightwood , Labour); and Wetherby and Easingwold (constituency shared with North Yorkshire ) ( Alec Shelbrooke , Conservative). Leeds has
3468-613: Is served by Leeds Bradford Airport . This is situated in Yeadon approximately seven miles north -west of the city centre. The city centre is linked to the airport by the A1 bus service operated by Yorkshire Coastliner . The airport serves major European destinations as well as many further afield. Traffic passing past Leeds city centre is diverted away from the main areas by the Leeds Inner Ring Road , an urban motorway passing
3570-481: Is the central business district of Leeds , West Yorkshire , England. It is roughly bounded by the Inner Ring Road to the north and the River Aire to the south and can be divided into several quarters. The old town is considered the retail core of Leeds, it extends south from buildings on either side of The Headrow to the River Aire . Kirkgate and Briggate are the oldest streets in Leeds, from which
3672-420: Is the local government district covering Leeds, and the local authority is Leeds City Council . The council is composed of 99 councillors, three for each of the district's wards . 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 by Labour . West Yorkshire does not have
3774-471: Is the central city of the Leeds City Region , a classification for the city region's metropolitan area . The city region has a population of over 3 million, making it the second most populated metropolitan city region in the United Kingdom, behind Greater London . In January 2011, Leeds was named as one of five "cities to watch" in a report published by Centre for Cities. The report shows that
3876-634: Is the city's northern cultural quarter. Centred upon Centenary Square, landmarks include: NHS England's Quarry House; the BBC Yorkshire building, which moved from Woodhouse Lane in August 2004; the Leeds Playhouse , which opened in March 1990; Leeds College of Music , which moved to its current location in 1997; and Northern Ballet which moved to the area in 2010. Leeds City College also has
3978-622: Is the largest component of the West Yorkshire Urban Area and is counted by Eurostat as part of the Leeds-Bradford larger urban zone . The Leeds travel to work area in 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). In 2011, the Leeds urban subdivision had
4080-458: Is well above the national average, like many other English major cities. In July 2006, the think tank Reform calculated 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). Total recorded crime in Leeds fell by 45% between March 2002 and December 2011 The City of Leeds
4182-456: The Bank of England in the UK. In 2012 GVA for the city was recorded at £18.8 billion, with the entire Leeds City Region generating a £56 billion economy. Key sectors include finance, retail, leisure and the visitor economy, construction, manufacturing and the creative and digital industries. It has one of the most diverse economies of all the UK's main employment centres and has seen
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4284-565: The Celtic root *lāt- "violent, boiling" and the borrowed Latin plural derivational suffix -ēnses meaning "people of the fast-flowing river", in reference to the River Aire that flows through the city. This name originally referred to the forested area covering most of the Brittonic kingdom of Elmet , which existed during the 5th century into the early 7th century. Bede states in the fourteenth chapter of his Ecclesiastical History , in
4386-490: The Corn Exchange opening in 1864. Marshall's Mill was one of the first of many factories constructed in Leeds from around 1790 when the most significant were woollen finishing and flax mills. Manufacturing diversified by 1914 to printing, engineering, chemicals and clothing manufacture. Decline in manufacturing during the 1930s was temporarily reversed by a switch to producing military uniforms and munitions during
4488-407: The Globalization and World Cities Research Network . Today, Leeds has become the largest legal and financial centre outside London, 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 m ) of space. In
4590-603: The Greenbelt . The area sits between the boundaries of Oldfield Lane to the north and Gelderd Road to the South. Housing in Lower Wortley is predominantly 1950s semi-detached with some modern low-rise flats and newly built houses. Lower Wortley is home to Booker (formerly Makro ) and Matalan as well as many car dealerships . These are popular in this area of the city due to Lower Wortley's convenient location close to
4692-749: The Leeds Outer Ring Road and the M621 motorway . Wortley grew, much like surrounding areas during the Industrial Revolution . While Wortley was home to some smaller industrial works, its proximity to the industrial centres of Armley and Holbeck encouraged gradual growth. Perhaps Wortley's most notable features at this time were the vast array of railway junctions and its two gasworks, a smaller one in Lower Wortley and Leeds' largest gasworks in New Wortley which, until early 2022,
4794-570: The River Wharfe for several miles but crosses the river to include the part of Otley which lies north of the river. Over 65% of the Leeds district is green belt land and the city centre is less than twenty miles (32 km) from the Yorkshire Dales National Park , which has some of the most spectacular scenery and countryside in the UK. Inner and southern areas of Leeds lie on a layer of coal measure sandstones. To
4896-521: The Skyrack wapentake of the West Riding of Yorkshire . 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. King James I granted 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
4998-463: The UK Census including Zimbabwe , Iran , India and Nigeria all 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. The majority of people in Leeds identify themselves as Christian. The proportion of Muslims (3.0% of the population) is average for
5100-486: The University of Leeds each have a large campus forming an expansive tri-campus area in the north-east city centre, spanning both sides of the inner ring road and expanding into the areas. In addition to the two university campuses there are also multiple smaller education campuses to the area including Leeds Art University , Notre Dame Sixth Form College , Leeds City College and Blenheim Primary School. Quarry Hill
5202-468: The functional region . 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. Leeds has a varying extent by context such as the city centre , the built-up sprawl around the centre, administrative boundaries and the travel to work area . The city centre lies in a narrow section of the Aire Valley at about 206 feet (63 m) above sea level . The land use in
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#17327871266025304-481: The 16th century. It expanded by becoming a major production and trading centre (mainly with wool ) in the 17th and 18th centuries. Leeds developed as a mill town during the Industrial Revolution alongside other surrounding villages and towns in the West Riding of Yorkshire . It was also known for its flax industry, iron foundries , engineering and printing, as well as shopping, with several surviving Victorian era arcades, such as Kirkgate Market . City status
5406-512: The 18th century) and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in 1816. In the late Georgian era, William Lupton was 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 the enclosed fields of the manor of Leeds , his estate including a mill, reservoir , substantial house and outbuildings. Mechanical engineering, initially to supply tools and machinery for
5508-543: 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 . The most notable bus service within central Leeds is the LeedsCityBus service operated by First Leeds and funded by West Yorkshire Metro . This service runs every few minutes in
5610-527: The Leeds Lights workshop in Seacroft throughout the year. 80,000 coloured lamps are stored at the workshop, and 2000m of coloured rope light 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. Commercial advertising has been permitted on some of
5712-487: The Second World War. However, by the 1970s, the clothing industry was in irreversible decline, facing cheap foreign competition. The contemporary economy has been shaped by Leeds City Council 's vision of building a '24-hour European city' and 'capital of the north'. The city has developed from the decay of the post-industrial era to become a telephone banking centre, connected to the electronic infrastructure of
5814-471: The Victorian slum areas which had characterised Wortley since it developed. New Wortley was largely developed through the building of social housing, mainly in the form of high rise flats and prefabricated houses . Despite being built opposite what was then a gas works and is now a storage facility, the prefabricated houses were built with 'all-electric' heating, as was common at the time. In 2009, as part of
5916-542: The Washburn Valley north of Leeds. 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. Land south of the river was developed primarily for industry and secondarily for back-to-back workers' dwellings. The Leeds Improvement Act 1866 sought to improve the quality of working class housing by restricting
6018-431: The average resident in Leeds earns £471 per week, 17th nationally and 30.9% of Leeds residents had NVQ4+ high-level qualifications, 15th 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. Leeds is overall less deprived than other large UK cities and average income
6120-448: The central areas of Leeds is overwhelmingly urban. while being less than twenty miles (32 km) from the rural Yorkshire Dales National Park . It is contained within the Leeds Inner Ring Road , formed from parts of the A58 road , A61 road , A64 road , A643 road and the M621 motorway . Briggate , the principal north–south shopping street, is pedestrianised and Queen Victoria Street,
6222-470: The city and wider region are widespread. It is the county's largest settlement with a population of 536,280, while the larger City of Leeds district has a population of 812,000 ( 2021 census ). The city is part of the fourth-largest built-up area by population in the United Kingdom, West Yorkshire Built-up Area , with a 2011 census population of 1.7 million. The name derives from the old Brittonic *Lātēnses (via Late Brittonic Lādēses ), composed of
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#17327871266026324-448: The city centre Other headquarters include Asda and Channel 4 . Each Christmas 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,
6426-405: The city centre live more than nine kilometres (5.6 miles) away. 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. 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
6528-711: The city grew from. Briggate is home to several chain food and shopping chains, was fully pedestrianised in 1996 and connected the two previously pedestrian areas either side of it. The old town can be further subdivided into several areas: the city square; the Victorian arcades (such as the Grand Arcade , Thornton's Arcade and the County Arcade); department stores and indoor shopping centres of The Headrow (such as The Light and St John's Centre ), The Calls' markets ( Corn Exchange and Leeds Kirkgate Market ). Opened 21 March 2013, Trinity Leeds shopping centre had
6630-407: The city, attracting in investments and flagship projects, as found in Leeds city centre . Many developments boasting luxurious penthouse apartments have been built close to the city centre. At 53°47′59″N 1°32′57″W / 53.79972°N 1.54917°W / 53.79972; -1.54917 (53.799°, −1.549°), and 190 miles (310 km) north-northwest of central London , central Leeds
6732-679: The close proximity to the courts. The area has a number high-rise residential properties and developments, including Sky Plaza and Opal 3 . Altus House is the tallest building in Yorkshire . Other major institutions are located within the Quarter, including the Yorkshire Bank HQ and also the Merrion Centre . Queen Square is also found here. Leeds General Infirmary , the Leeds Beckett University and
6834-467: 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 and reached 31.8 °C (89 °F) at Leeds city centre in August 2003. The record temperature for Leeds
6936-503: The completion of a number of developments. is the name given by local government and planning agencies to a mixed-use urban renewal area south of Leeds railway station . Bridgewater Place and also Granary Wharf are within Holbeck Urban Village . The new High Speed 2 station was due to border this area of Leeds, which is why much of the area is considered prime location for development. Financial Hospitality in
7038-691: 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. Slum clearance and rebuilding began in Leeds during the interwar period when over 18,000 houses were built by the council on 24 estates in Cross Gates , Middleton, Gipton, Belle Isle and Halton Moor. The slums of Quarry Hill were replaced by
7140-411: The country. Leeds has the third-largest community of Jews in the United Kingdom, after those of London and Manchester. The areas of Alwoodley and Moortown contain sizeable Jewish communities. 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
7242-535: The county council was abolished in 1986, the city council absorbed its functions, and some powers passed to organisations such as the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority . From 1988 two run-down and derelict areas close to the city centre were designated for regeneration and became the responsibility of Leeds Development Corporation , outside the planning remit of the city council. Planning powers were restored to
7344-580: The designation. The green belt was first adopted in 1960, and the size in the borough in 2017 amounted to some 33,970 hectares (339.7 km ; 131.2 sq mi). A subsidiary aim of the green belt is to encourage recreation and leisure interests, 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. Leeds has
7446-401: The district. Some of Leeds suburbs include Headingley, Harehills and Hunslet. while exurbs of Leeds include Pudsey, Horsforth and Morley. Lying in the eastern foothills of the Pennines , 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 of Ilkley Moor to about 33 feet (10 m) where
7548-494: The early 20th century when industry moved away from the centre outwards. From 1985 to 1995 Leeds Corporation carried out a major regeneration with a careful conversion of listed building warehouses and new build in sympathetic style for a mixed-use area. Many of the area's old industrial buildings have now been converted into modern flats and commercial buildings. Mediaeval Leeds ended at The Headrow , multiple entertainment venues and municipal buildings were built directly north of
7650-403: 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. Leeds is ranked as a "High Sufficiency" level city by
7752-426: The grounds of separate mansions – Cliffe House and Western Flatts House. The latter was demolished a long time ago, but in the 1930s the former was handed over to the then Leeds Education Committee and turned into a residential school for 'difficult' boys, though now it has been lying derelict for many years. Lower Wortley Methodist Church on Branch Road was built in 1884 as a United Methodist Free Church . It acts as
7854-555: 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. Leeds has seen great expenditure on regenerating
7956-589: The lights, such as The Headrow's champagne bottle lights. Celebrities who turned on the Leeds Christmas lights: Leeds city centre is served by Leeds railway station . The station is one of 20 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. The city centre
8058-451: The local agricultural economy. Before the Industrial Revolution , it became a co-ordination centre for the manufacture of woollen cloth, and white broadcloth was traded at its White Cloth Hall . Leeds handled one sixth of England's export trade in 1770. Growth, initially in textiles, was accelerated by the creation of the Aire and Calder Navigation in 1699 (with major additional works in
8160-632: The local authority in 1995 when the development corporation was wound up. In 1801, 42% of the population of Leeds lived outside the township, in the wider borough. Cholera outbreaks 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
8262-423: The main streets, including Briggate and further powers were added in 1790 to improve the water supply. The borough corporation was reformed under the provisions of Municipal Corporations Act 1835 . Leeds Borough Police force was formed in 1836, and Leeds Town Hall was completed by the corporation in 1858. In 1866, Leeds and each of the other townships in the borough became civil parishes . The borough became
8364-547: The modern global economy. There has been growth in the corporate and legal sectors, and increased local affluence has led to an expanding retail sector, including the luxury goods market. Leeds City Region Enterprise Zone was launched in April 2012 to promote development in four sites along the A63 East Leeds Link Road. Leeds was a manor and township in the large ancient parish of Leeds St Peter , in
8466-532: 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's Core 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. 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
8568-466: The narrower shopping areas of the city. The area's entertainment venues are Leeds Arena , are Leeds Academy , Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House . Millennium Square anchored by the civic hall was a flagship project to mark the year 2000. It hosts regular concerts, with past performers including the Kaiser Chiefs , Bridewell Taxis , HARD-Fi , Fall Out Boy and Embrace . It is home to
8670-528: 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. Leeds has multiple motorway links such as the M1 , M62 and A1(M) . The city's railway station is, alongside Manchester Piccadilly , the busiest of its kind in Northern England . Public transport, rail and road networks in
8772-410: The north parts are built on older sandstone and gritstones and to the east it extends into the magnesian limestone belt. The land use in the central areas of Leeds is overwhelmingly urban. 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 the city centre , the urban sprawl, the administrative boundaries, and
8874-495: The number of homes that could be built in a single terrace. Holbeck and Leeds formed a continuous built-up area by 1858, with Hunslet nearly meeting them. 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
8976-418: The parish and county borough of Leeds absorbed Leeds Rural District , consisting of the parishes of Roundhay and Seacroft ; and Shadwell , which had been part of Wetherby Rural District. On 1 April 1925, the parish of Leeds was expanded to cover the whole borough. The county borough was abolished on 1 April 1974, and its former area was combined with that of the municipal boroughs of Morley and Pudsey ;
9078-434: 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 of soda water . Leeds City Centre Leeds city centre
9180-517: The rest of the West 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. Of those over 16 years old, 39.4% were single (never married) and 35.4% married for the first time. 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
9282-460: 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. The northern boundary follows the River Wharfe for several miles (several kilometres), but it crosses the river to include the part of Otley which lies north of the river. The Leeds postcode area covers most of the City of Leeds district and
9384-465: The strict Calvinist preacher Alexander Cooke as vicar of Leeds, but she refused. The inhabitants petitioned Charles I for a charter of incorporation, which was granted in 1626. The new charter incorporated the entire parish, including all eleven townships, as the Borough of Leeds and withdrew the earlier charter. Improvement commissioners were set up in 1755 for paving, lighting, and cleansing of
9486-399: 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. Its workshop began as
9588-514: The textile sector, rapidly became a diverse industry. The railway network constructed around Leeds, starting with the Leeds and Selby Railway in 1834, provided improved communications with national markets and, significantly for its development, an east–west connection with Manchester and the ports of Liverpool and Hull giving improved access to international markets. Alongside technological advances and industrial expansion, Leeds retained an interest in trading in agricultural commodities, with
9690-435: The urban districts of Aireborough , Horsforth , Otley , Garforth and Rothwell ; and parts of the rural districts of Tadcaster , Wetherby , and Wharfedale . This area formed a metropolitan district in the county of West Yorkshire . It gained both borough and city status and is known as the City of Leeds . Initially, local government services were provided by Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire County Council . When
9792-468: The urban subdivision, while it takes up only 21% of its total area of 552 km . At the time of the 2011 UK Census , the district had a total population of 751,500, representing a 5% growth since the previous census ten years earlier. 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% were co-habiting couples and 9.8% were single parents, following
9894-429: The west of the city. The Wellington Place development and the wider Wellington Gardens area of the city contain a number of international corporations. Wellington Place is currently under construction. Historically, Holbeck Urban Village was Holbeck 's closest area to the centre of Leeds . Due to the expansion of the city, it is now considered part of the city centre and was rezoned as Holbeck Urban Village , following
9996-516: The west, The Headrow to the north and Wellington Street to the south. It is centred on 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 at Cloth Hall Court. Major names can be found in the financial quarter such as Aviva and The Bank of England . The district has grown out towards
10098-499: Was awarded in 1893, and a populous urban centre formed in the following century which absorbed surrounding villages and overtook the population of nearby York . 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 to public sector jobs. Leeds is home to over 109,000 companies, generating 5% of England's total economic output of £60.5 billion, and
10200-717: Was born in Wortley. England and Manchester City footballer , Kalvin Phillips was born in Wortley The area has associations with three first world war Victoria Cross recipients. George Sanders was born in New Wortley in 1894, while the grave of Arthur Poulter is located in New Wortley cemetery and the grave of Wilfred Edwards is in Oldfield Lane cemetery. Wortley: People & Places in Wortley by Wortley Local History Group 1993 Leeds Leeds
10302-478: Was converted into apartments. There are three primary schools: Five Lanes, Lower Wortley, and Whingate primary schools. Since the demolition of the New Wortley gas holder , perhaps the most prominent structures in Wortley are the Clyde Grange and Clyde Court multistorey flats, situated off Tong Road, which are the tallest buildings in the Wortley area. Brighton & Hove Albion footballer James Milner
10404-519: Was marked by the presence of a large spiral guided gasholder . Armley was formerly a township in the parish of Leeds and a chapelry , in 1866 Wortley became a separate civil parish , on 26 March 1904 the parish was abolished to form Armley and Bramley . In 1901 the parish had a population of 27,456. The landscape of Wortley changed considerably following World War II , when both the Leeds Corporation and private developers redeveloped
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