City Square is a paved area north of

Leeds railway station Leeds railway station (also known as Leeds City railway station) is the mainline railway station serving the city centre of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. It is the fourth-busiest railway station in the UK outside London (as of March 2020). I ...

at the junction of Park Row to the east and Wellington Street to the south. It is a triangular area where six roads meet: Infirmary Street and Park Row to the north, Boar Lane and Bishopsgate Street to the south-east, and Quebec Street and Wellington Street to the south-west. The only building with a direct frontage is the former General Post Office, on the north-west side.

History

Proposals were made in 1893 to transform the area in front of the station. The demolition of Leeds' Coloured Cloth Hall and Quebec House gave an open space in which a new General Post Office was constructed in 1896 with a public space in front. One proposal was to name the development after

John Smeaton John Smeaton (8 June 1724 – 28 October 1792) was a British civil engineer responsible for the design of bridges, canals, harbours and lighthouses. He was also a capable mechanical engineer and an eminent physicist. Smeaton was the fi ...

, the famous local engineer, but the council unanimously opted to call it City Square, as Leeds was being made a city that year. The initial plan had tramway waiting rooms, and public lavatories welcoming new visitors to Leeds. However, Colonel

Thomas Walter Harding Colonel Thomas Walter Harding (22 January 1843 – 26 March 1927) was a British industrialist and civic figure in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Life Harding was born in Lille, France, where his Leeds-based father Thomas Richards Harding (1 ...

(

Lord Mayor of Leeds The Lord Mayor of Leeds (until 1897 known as the Mayor of Leeds) is a ceremonial post held by a member of Leeds City Council, elected annually by the council. By charter from King Charles I in 1626, the leader of the governing body of the bo ...

between 1898 and 1899) was so dismayed that he commissioned William Bakewell to design a square more in the style of an Italian piazza, with statues and trees. In the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, during an air raid on Leeds, the

Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German '' Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the '' Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabt ...

bombed City Square. It was at the time the site of a public

air raid shelter Air raid shelters are structures for the protection of non-combatants as well as combatants against enemy attacks from the air. They are similar to bunkers in many regards, although they are not designed to defend against ground attack (but man ...

, which did not withstand the bombing and was significantly damaged. In 1997, traffic that went through the City Square, mainly buses and taxis, was diverted to the Leeds City Centre "Loop" traffic scheme. The City Square area was refurbished in 2003, which included closing off one side of the square to traffic, rearranging the statues and adding fountains and traditional

street furniture Street furniture is a collective term for objects and pieces of equipment installed along streets and roads for various purposes. It includes benches, traffic barriers, bollards, post boxes, phone boxes, streetlamps, traffic lights, traf ...

to the square. The fountains were removed in 2013.

Statuary

All are in bronze and larger than life. There is a large equestrian statue, four statues of famous men, and a ring of female nudes, or nymphs, acting as lampholders. The statues were part of a celebration of Leeds changing status from a town to a city. All are at least Grade II

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern I ...

Black Prince

The large equestrian statue is of

Edward, the Black Prince Edward of Woodstock, known to history as the Black Prince (15 June 1330 – 8 June 1376), was the eldest son of King Edward III of England, and the heir apparent to the English throne. He died before his father and so his son, Richard II, suc ...

(1330–1376), and is a major work of Thomas Brock (1847–1922). Edward had no specific connection with Leeds, and the choice of subject therefore caused something of a stir. The statue is on a pedestal with relief panels depicting some of the prince's notable victories. It (along with most of the statues) was funded by Colonel Thomas Walter Harding. Brock took seven years to make it, and it had to be cast in

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

because it was too big for any British foundry. It was carried by sea to

Hull Hull may refer to: Structures * Chassis, of an armored fighting vehicle * Fuselage, of an aircraft * Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds * Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a ship * Submarine hull Mathematics * Affine hull, in affi ...

, then on a barge along the

River Aire The River Aire is a major river in Yorkshire, England, in length. The ''Handbook for Leeds and Airedale'' (1890) notes that the distance from Malham to Howden is direct, but the river's meanderings extend that to . Between Malham Tarn and Ai ...

to Leeds. It was unveiled on 16 September 1903 to cheering crowds. It is Grade II* listed. File:Black Prince City Square land battle 27 May 2018.jpg, Panel on plinth of a land battle File:Black Prince City Square sea battle 27 May 2018.jpg, Panel on plinth of a sea battle File:Black Prince City Square Leeds plaque 1.jpg, Plaque identifying the donor and sculptor File:Black Prince City Square Leeds plaque 2.jpg, Plaque identifying the subject

James Watt

Though again

James Watt James Watt (; 30 January 1736 (19 January 1736 OS) – 25 August 1819) was a Scottish inventor, mechanical engineer, and chemist who improved on Thomas Newcomen's 1712 Newcomen steam engine with his Watt steam engine in 1776, which was ...

had no specific connection to Leeds, he was a famous engineer and typified the technological change which had made Leeds into a city. This was erected in 1903. It is by

Henry Charles Fehr Henry Charles Fehr FRBS (4 November 1867 – 13 May 1940) was a British monumental and architectural sculptor active in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He produced several notable public sculptures, war memorials and works fo ...

and the gift of Richard Wainwright.

John Harrison

John Harrison John Harrison ( – 24 March 1776) was a self-educated English carpenter and clockmaker who invented the marine chronometer, a long-sought-after device for solving the problem of calculating longitude while at sea. Harrison's solution revo ...

(1579–1656) was a local cloth merchant and benefactor of Leeds, having built a church and a

grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented secondary school ...

. This was erected in 1903. It is also by H. C. Fehr and the gift of Councillor Richard Boston.

Dr Hook

Dr Walter Hook (1798–1875) was a vicar of Leeds and a major influence on both religion and education in the city. He was responsible for rebuilding the parish church (now Leeds Minster) and thirty schools. This was erected in 1902. It is by

F. W. Pomeroy Frederick William Pomeroy (9 October 1856 – 26 May 1924) was a prolific British sculptor of architectural and monumental works. He became a leading sculptor in the New Sculpture movement, a group distinguished by a stylistic turn towards nat ...

and the gift of Colonel Thomas Walter Harding.

Joseph Priestley

The famous

chemist A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties. Chemists carefully describe th ...

and

theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

Joseph Priestley Joseph Priestley (; 24 March 1733 – 6 February 1804) was an English chemist, natural philosopher, separatist theologian, grammarian, multi-subject educator, and liberal political theorist. He published over 150 works, and conducted ...

lived in Leeds from 1767 to 1773, and was the minister at

Mill Hill Chapel Mill Hill Chapel is a Unitarian church in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is a member of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, the umbrella organisation for British Unitarians. The building, which stands in the centr ...

, which is on the square. He used

carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide ( chemical formula ) is a chemical compound made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in the gas state at room temperature. In the air, carbon dioxide is t ...

from the local brewery to continue his experiments on gases. This was erected in 1903. It is by Alfred Drury and the gift of Colonel Thomas Walter Harding. File:James Watt Leeds.jpg, James Watt File:John Harrison Statue.jpg, John Harrison File:Dr Hook statue close 7 Sep 2017.jpg, Dr Walter Hook File:Joseph Priestley statue Leeds City Square 19 March 2018 1 close.jpg, Joseph Priestley

Eight Nymphs

The most controversial feature of the square was a ring of eight nude females holding lamps, which attracted critical letters to the

Yorkshire Post ''The Yorkshire Post'' is a daily broadsheet newspaper, published in Leeds in Yorkshire, England. It primarily covers stories from Yorkshire although its masthead carries the slogan "Yorkshire's National Newspaper". It was previously owned by ...

when unveiled in 1899. They are by Alfred Drury, now celebrated as a pioneer of the New Sculpture. They are of two forms, one named as "Morn" holding a lamp in her right hand and clutching some flowers, and the other named as "Even" holding a lamp in her left hand, with her other hand to her head. They were originally arranged on the points of the compass in a circle around the Black Prince. In 1956 they were removed from this arrangement and put in two rows of four. In the 1990s, it was planned to remove them altogether, as Victorian public art was considered by many to be worthless. However, this was resisted and they were placed in their present positions of a three-quarter circle. File:City Square 24 May 2018 Morn 1.jpg, "Morn" File:City Square 24 May 2018 Even 1.jpg, "Even"

Buildings

General Post Office

City Square, Leeds, Statues and Post Office 24 March 2017

The former Leeds General Post Office covers the northwest side of the square. It is a Grade II listed building, in classical style by architect

Sir Henry Tanner Sir Henry Tanner (1849–1935) was a prominent British architect during the late 19th and early 20th century, working for HM Office of Works. History Tanner was born in St Pancras, London 1849 to Robert Tanner, a master carpenter and Elizabet ...

. It is in

Ashlar Ashlar () is finely dressed (cut, worked) stone, either an individual stone that has been worked until squared, or a structure built from such stones. Ashlar is the finest stone masonry unit, generally rectangular cuboid, mentioned by Vitruv ...

, with slate and lead roofs of four stories and two main entrances with columns on the square, with a central clock tower. There are other entrances to the sides on Quebec Street and Infirmary Street. The telephone booths outside the former post office are K6 design and also Grade II listed buildings. It opened 18 May 1896. Two figures by

William Silver Frith William Silver Frith (1850–1924) was a British sculptor. Frith graduated from the Lambeth School of Art and the Royal Academy Schools, and became assistant to Jules Dalou. By 1880 Frith had succeeded Dalou as master at the newly formed South ...

representing "Reading" and "Writing" are over one entrance, while "Reading" and "Philosophy" are over the other. Four figures above have been said to represent Time, Air, Light and Earth. Along with other smaller decorations are two owls on the front. File:Leeds General Post Office clock tower 2 July 2018 cropped.jpg, Clock tower File:Reading and Writing LGPO 2 July 2018.jpg, Reading and Writing and an owl File:Reading and Philosophy LGPO 2 July 2018.jpg, Reading and Philosophy and an owl File:Four figures LGPO 2 July 2018.jpg, Upper storeys, including figures for Time, Air, Light, and Earth File:Owl on Old GPO Leeds City Square 10 October 2018.jpg, Sculpture of owl on a ledge

Surrounding buildings

The square is overlooked by the listed buildings Queens Hotel on the South and

on the East, plus a modern skyscraper, No. 1 City Square (Norwich Union Building) completed 1998 by Abbey Hanson Rowe on the North. The sculpture "Legs walking" by Leeds-born

Kenneth Armitage William Kenneth Armitage (18 July 1916 – 22 January 2002) was a British sculptor known for his semi-abstract bronzes. Life Armitage was born in Leeds on July 18, 1916, the youngest of three children studied at the Leeds College of Art and t ...

was erected outside

in 2018. On the Southwest between Quebec Street and Wellington Street is the former Majestic Cinema and Ballroom (1921), a Grade II listed building in

terracotta Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based unglazed or glazed ceramic where the fired body is porous. In applied art, craft, construction, and architecture, terra ...

by the Leeds Fireclay Co. On the Southeast corner is the Park Plaza Hotel, a 2003 recladding of a 1965 office tower block called Exchange House, and the former Yorkshire Bank (1899, Grade II listed), now a bar, in granite with a distinctive copper dome. File:Queens Hotel Leeds 27 June 2018 01.jpg, Queens Hotel File:Mill Hill Chapel, Leeds, and Legs Walking, 19 March 2018.jpg, Mill Hill Chapel and the sculpture "Legs Walking" File:No 1 City Square, Leeds 24 May 2018.jpg, No 1 City Square (1998) File:The Majestic Cinema and Dance Hall - City Square - geograph.org.uk - 552120.jpg, Majestic Cinema and Dance Hall File:Park Plaza Hotel Leeds 10 October 2018.jpg, Park Plaza Hotel File:The Black Prince, Leeds 8 November 2018 2.jpg, Former Yorkshire Bank

White Rose Way

The Square is the official start point for the 104 mile long-distance walk

The White Rose Way The White Rose Way is a walking trail in England from Leeds, West Yorkshire to Scarborough, North Yorkshire. It was created in 2011 by local author Paul Brown. The walk starts at the foot of the Black Prince Statue in City Square with the fin ...

which finishes in

Scarborough, North Yorkshire Scarborough () is a seaside town in the Borough of Scarborough in North Yorkshire, England. Scarborough is located on the North Sea coastline. Historically in the North Riding of Yorkshire, the town lies between 10 and 230 feet (3–70 m) abov ...

References

{{Coord, 53.7964, -1.5476, display=title, region:GB_scale:2000 Squares in Leeds