Leeds

Leeds is an old established and historic English city. It dates back to the 5th century when the area was covered by the Forest of Loidis from which the city gets its name. Leeds is the third largest city in the UK with a population of over 750,000.

From humble beginnings as Manorial Borough in the 13th century, Leeds became an important centre for the Wool trade during the Industrial Revolution. This led to the birth of other industries such as engineering, iron foundries and printing. The population exploded and by the mid 20th century it had experienced phenomenal growth.

By 1801 most of the population of Leeds lived on the outskirts of the city or township as it then was. With shortages of water, poor housing conditions and outbreaks of Cholera the authorities built three new reservoirs and encouraged the development of better housing for the workers who were often housed in damp and crowded back-to-backs.

Leeds today is a vibrant city ranked as a gamma world city and home to three universities, a large legal and financial economy and home to over 30 national and international banks. Call centres have also done well here and provide employment for thousands of workers. Leeds has attracted inward investment and the city centre has been renewed with many large development projects and luxury housing in the city centre.

The retail trade is buoyant here and there are several impressive arcades in the city centre and a host of independent and branded names. There is a busy market and some fine buildings to be admired as well as several museums. You can easily spend more than a day in Leeds. This fine city has a lot to offer. Whilst it does not benefit from the picturesque medieval backdrop that York has to offer it holds its own in terms of a clean modern city with lots to offer the visitor.

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