Leeds in 50 Buildings

2016 | History & Politics

Buildings are one of the crucial features which define a city. Prominent buildings create the cityscape and form the horizon; at a lower, more personal level, they provide the homes for that city's citizens, their places of education, worship, entertainment, the arts and commerce. The fifty buildings described and depicted in this captivating new book chart the history of Leeds from its pivotal role in the Industrial Revolution as a major producer of wool and white broadcloth at the third White Cloth Hall (1775), the 1792 flax-spinning Marshall's Mill and the stunning Corn Exchange (1863). Armley Mills, Midland Mill and Temple Works complete the old industrial picture. Leeds boasts four universties, the Brotherton Library taking pride of place with the Rosebowl Building. The Thackray museum of medical history, the City Museum and the Armouries are awe-inspiring inside and out and provide cutting edge culture along with the Art Gallery, the West Yorkshire Playhouse and the Arena. For sport there is Headingley and Elland Road while the beautifully elegant Victoria Arcades provide a special shopping experience.

The skyline is pierced with windy Bridgewater Place, the Electric Press and Broadcasting Tower. Churches and mosques abound, as do old pubs like Whitelocks, the Whip and the Angel. Further afield there is the splendour of Kirkstall Abbey, Temple Newsam and Harewood House with their centuries of history. All of these buildings and many more are covered in this fascinating book: their history and the role they play today in one of England's leading cities provide an enthralling historical narrative for the Leeds of yesterday and of today.

Paul Chrystal (Author)