Leeds city centre is the
central business district
A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...
of
Leeds
Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popul ...
,
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...
, 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.
Central districts
Arena Quarter
The Arena Quarter is a mixed-use area best known for being the home of the
First Direct Arena
The First Direct Arena (also known as the Leeds Arena) is an entertainment-focused indoor arena located in the Arena Quarter of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is the first in the United Kingdom to have a fan-shaped orientation.
The arena of ...
.
Its location is directly north of
Merrion Street
Merrion Street (; ) is a major Georgian street on the southside of Dublin, Ireland, which runs along one side of Merrion Square. It is divided into Merrion Street Lower (north end), Merrion Square West and Merrion Street Upper (south end). It ...
. The Inner Ring Road borders the district on both the east and north boundary, with Woodhouse Lane acting as the district's western boundary. It is mainly made up of high-rise residential properties and developments, including
Sky Plaza and
Opal 3
Opal Tower (officially known as Opal 3, Leeds) is a 25-storey building in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.
It serves as student accommodation for 542 students, and is close to the City campus of Leeds Beckett University and the University of L ...
.
Altus House
Altus House is a 37-storey, residential skyscraper in Arena Quarter, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The building consists of over 752 student units. Altus House is the tallest building in Leeds and Yorkshire taking the title from Bridgewater ...
is the tallest building in
Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...
. Other major institutions are located within the Quarter, including the Yorkshire Bank HQ and also the
Merrion Centre. Queen Square is also found here.
The Calls
The Calls is close to the
River Aire. It is directly south of the Retail Quarter and to the west of Crown Point Road. The area's decline began in the early 20th century when industry moved away from the centre out towards
Hunslet
Hunslet () is an inner-city area in south Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is southeast of the city centre and has an industrial past.
It is situated in the Hunslet and Riverside ward of Leeds City Council and Leeds Central parliamenta ...
,
Holbeck
Holbeck is an inner city area of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It begins on the southern edge of Leeds city centre and mainly lies in the LS11 postcode district. The M1 and M621 motorways used to end/begin in Holbeck. Now the M621 is th ...
,
Armley and
Kirkstall. From 1985 to 1995
Leeds Corporation
Leeds City Council is the local authority of the City of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. It is a metropolitan district council, one of five in West Yorkshire and one of 36 in the metropolitan counties of England, and provides the majority of l ...
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. The western part of the area is centred on Lower
Briggate
Briggate is a pedestrianised principal shopping street in Leeds city centre, England. Historically it was the main street, leading north from Leeds Bridge, and housed markets, merchant's houses and other business premises. It contains many his ...
, where Leeds'
LGBT
' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.
The LGBT term ...
nightlife is focused.
Civic Quarter
The Civic Quarter is the area roughly north-west of
The Headrow
The Headrow is an avenue in Leeds city centre, West Yorkshire, England.
It is one of the most important thoroughfares in central Leeds, hosting many of the city's civic and cultural buildings including Leeds Town Hall, Leeds Central Librar ...
and west of the Arena Quarter. It is home to a number of grand
Victorian buildings that are important in the civic life of the city. Prominent landmarks include Leeds Magistrates' and Crown Courts, the City Library, City Art Gallery and
Leeds Town Hall, which was completed in 1858 and opened by
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...
. The city's largest hospital, the
Leeds General Infirmary, has been operating here since 1869.
Behind Leeds Town Hall are
Millennium Square Millennium Square may refer to:
* Millennium Square, Bristol
*Millennium Square, Leeds
*Millennium Square, Sheffield
Millennium Square is a modern city square in Sheffield, England. It was created as part of the Heart of the City project that b ...
and
Leeds Civic Hall. Millennium Square was a flagship project to mark the year 2000 and hosts regular concerts, with past performers including the
Kaiser Chiefs,
Bridewell Taxis,
HARD-Fi
Hard-Fi are an English indie rock band, formed in 2003 in Staines-upon-Thames, Surrey. The band's most recent lineup before going on hiatus consisted of Richard Archer (lead vocals and guitar), Kai Stephens ( bass guitar and backing vocals) and ...
,
Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy is an American rock band formed in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, lead guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hur ...
and
Embrace. Leeds Civic Hall was opened in 1933 by
King George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936.
Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...
and is home to the Lord Mayor's Room and the council chambers. Many
barrister
A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and givin ...
s' chambers and solicitors' offices are found here because of the close proximity to the courts. Also nearby are
Leeds Metropolitan University, the
University of Leeds
, mottoeng = And knowledge will be increased
, established = 1831 – Leeds School of Medicine1874 – Yorkshire College of Science1884 - Yorkshire College1887 – affiliated to the federal Victoria University1904 – University of Leeds
, ...
,
Leeds College of Art and the Park Lane and Technology campuses of
Leeds City College
Leeds City College is the largest further education establishment in the City of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England with around 26,000 students, 2,300 staff, with an annual turnover of £78 million. .
Cultural Quarter
The Cultural Quarter is in the east of the city centre on Quarry Hill. Landmarks here include the
BBC building, which moved from Woodhouse Lane in August 2004; the
Leeds Playhouse
Leeds Playhouse is a theatre in the city centre of Leeds, West Yorkshire. Having originally opened in 1970 in a different location in Leeds, it reopened as West Yorkshire Playhouse, on Quarry Hill, in March 1990. After a refurbishment in 2018-20 ...
, which opened in March 1990;
Leeds College of Music
Leeds () is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the thi ...
, which moved to its current location in 1997; and
Northern Ballet
Northern Ballet, formerly Northern Ballet Theatre, is a dance company based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, with a strong repertoire in theatrical dance productions where the emphasis is on story telling as well as classical ballet. The compa ...
which moved to the area in 2010.
Leeds City College
Leeds City College is the largest further education establishment in the City of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England with around 26,000 students, 2,300 staff, with an annual turnover of £78 million. also has a large campus here.
Leeds Dock also lies to the south of the Cultural Quarter and is where the
Royal Armouries Museum can be found. 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
Financial 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 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
Aviva plc is a British multinational insurance company headquartered in London, England. It has about 18 million customers across its core markets of the United Kingdom, Ireland and Canada. In the United Kingdom, Aviva is the largest general ...
and
The Bank of England
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694 to act as the English Government's banker, and still one of the bankers for the Government of ...
.
The district has grown out towards 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.
Holbeck Urban Village
Historically, Holbeck Urban Village was
Holbeck
Holbeck is an inner city area of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It begins on the southern edge of Leeds city centre and mainly lies in the LS11 postcode district. The M1 and M621 motorways used to end/begin in Holbeck. Now the M621 is th ...
's closest area to the centre of
Leeds
Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popul ...
. Due to the expansion of the city, it is now considered part of the city centre and was rezoned as
Holbeck Urban Village, following the completion of a number of developments. is the name given by local government and planning agencies to a mixed-use
urban renewal
Urban renewal (also called urban regeneration in the United Kingdom and urban redevelopment in the United States) is a program of land redevelopment often used to address urban decay in cities. Urban renewal involves the clearing out of blighte ...
area south of
Leeds railway station.
Bridgewater Place
Bridgewater Place, nicknamed The Dalek, is an office and residential skyscraper in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was the tallest building in Yorkshire at the time of being topped out in September 2005, but is now the second-tallest after ...
and also
Granary Wharf are within
Holbeck Urban Village. The new
High Speed 2
High Speed 2 (HS2) is a planned high-speed railway line in England, the first phase of which is under construction in stages and due for completion between 2029 and 2033, depending on approval for later stages. The new line will run from its m ...
station will border this area of Leeds, which is why much of the area is considered prime location for development.
Shopping Quarter
The Shopping Quarter, extends south from the Headrow and includes Leeds' major shopping locations. It is considered the retail core of Leeds, containing
Corn Exchange,
Leeds Kirkgate Market,
Trinity Leeds and also both
Victoria Gate and Victoria Quarter.
Kirkgate and
Briggate
Briggate is a pedestrianised principal shopping street in Leeds city centre, England. Historically it was the main street, leading north from Leeds Bridge, and housed markets, merchant's houses and other business premises. It contains many his ...
are the oldest streets in Leeds, from which the city grew. The Shopping Quarter can be subdivided into several areas including
Victoria, a high-end shopping district home to one of the UK's only
Harvey Nichols
Harvey Nichols is a British luxury department store chain founded in 1831, at its flagship store in Knightsbridge, London. It sells designer fashion collections for men and women, fashion accessories, beauty products, fine wines and luxury ...
stores.
Development of the area has seen two new additional indoor
malls, Victoria Gate and
Trinity Leeds.
Opened 21 March 2013,
Trinity Leeds shopping centre had a surge of 130,000 people enter its doors on the first day of opening. Costing £350m,
[ 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 key anchor stores being ]Topman
Topman is a UK-based multinational men's fashion retail brand founded by Burton Group (later renamed Arcadia Group) in 1978. Along with its women's clothing counterpart Topshop and the rest of Arcadia Group, Topman went into administration i ...
and M&S. Other stores in the centre include Apple
An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus '' Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancest ...
, River Island, Next
Next may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film
* ''Next'' (1990 film), an animated short about William Shakespeare
* ''Next'' (2007 film), a sci-fi film starring Nicolas Cage
* '' Next: A Primer on Urban Painting'', a 2005 documentary film
Lit ...
, Hollister, H&M, Primark
Primark Stores Limited (; trading as Penneys in the Republic of Ireland) is an Irish multinational fast fashion retailer with headquarters in Dublin, Ireland. It has stores across Europe and in the United States. The Penneys brand is not us ...
, Everyman, Conran Restaurants and Mango
A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree '' Mangifera indica''. It is believed to have originated in the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in Sout ...
. It has a capacity for 120 shops and numerous pop-up shops.
Victoria Gate's construction was completed in 2016 and won numerous awards as one of the best malls in the world. It houses the city centre's John Lewis department store, along with many other flagship stores of premium brands. Older parts of the Victorian District include 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
Littlewoods was a retail and football betting company founded in Liverpool, England, by John Moores in 1923. By the 1980s, it had grown to become the largest private company in Europe, but subsequently declined in the face of increased com ...
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
Lloyds Bank plc is a British retail and commercial bank with branches across England and Wales. It has traditionally been considered one of the " Big Four" clearing banks. Lloyds Bank is the largest retail bank in Britain, and has an exte ...
on Park Row have disappeared but currently department stores include Debenhams (historically known as Matthias Robinson), Harvey Nichols
Harvey Nichols is a British luxury department store chain founded in 1831, at its flagship store in Knightsbridge, London. It sells designer fashion collections for men and women, fashion accessories, beauty products, fine wines and luxury ...
(which when opened in 1996 became the first branch outside London), Marks and Spencer
Marks and Spencer Group plc (commonly abbreviated to M&S and colloquially known as Marks's or Marks & Sparks) is a major British multinational retailer with headquarters in Paddington, London that specialises in selling clothing, beauty, home ...
, BHS and House of Fraser
House of Fraser (also operating as Frasers) is a British department store group with 44 locations across the United Kingdom, which is now part of Frasers Group. It was established in Glasgow, Scotland in 1849 as Arthur and Fraser. By 1891, it ...
(formerly a Woolworths
Woolworth, Woolworth's, or Woolworths may refer to:
Businesses
* F. W. Woolworth Company, the original US-based chain of "five and dime" (5¢ and 10¢) stores
* Woolworths Group (United Kingdom), former operator of the Woolworths chain of shop ...
, it temporarily became premises for Schofields and latterly became Rackhams before becoming House of Fraser in 1996).
Most streets in the District are connected to Briggate
Briggate is a pedestrianised principal shopping street in Leeds city centre, England. Historically it was the main street, leading north from Leeds Bridge, and housed markets, merchant's houses and other business premises. It contains many his ...
, one of the main shopping streets, home to several national and international food chains, like McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hambur ...
, Burger King
Burger King (BK) is an American-based multinational chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. Headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida, the company was founded in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida–based restaurant ch ...
and Nando's
Nando's (; ) is a South African multinational fast casual chain that specialises in flame-grilled peri-peri style chicken. Founded in Johannesburg in 1987, Nando's operates over 1,200 outlets in 30 countries. Their logo (also seen as a sort ...
, and international shopping chains, including Zara. Off Briggate are several of Leeds' famous shopping arcades, such as Thornton's 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 John's Centre
The St John's Centre is an indoor shopping centre in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The centre is surrounded by The Headrow to the south, Albion Street to the west and Merrion Street to the north. The centre makes up the central shopping ...
, and Crown Point Retail park which lies half a mile away from the retail core.
Major corporations
''Within the Financial Quarter''
*The Bank of England
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694 to act as the English Government's banker, and still one of the bankers for the Government of ...
*Aviva
Aviva plc is a British multinational insurance company headquartered in London, England. It has about 18 million customers across its core markets of the United Kingdom, Ireland and Canada. In the United Kingdom, Aviva is the largest general ...
* Zurich Financial Services
*Leeds Building Society
Leeds Building Society is a building society based in Leeds, England. It serves approximately 719,000 customers across the United Kingdom, who together hold £9.9 billion in savings balances and is the fifth largest building society in the UK.
...
*Lloyds TSB
Lloyds Bank plc is a British retail and commercial bank with branches across England and Wales. It has traditionally been considered one of the " Big Four" clearing banks. Lloyds Bank is the largest retail bank in Britain, and has an exte ...
''Elsewhere in the city centre''
*KPMG
KPMG International Limited (or simply KPMG) is a multinational professional services network, and one of the Big Four accounting organizations.
Headquartered in Amstelveen, Netherlands, although incorporated in London, England, KPMG is a net ...
* Direct Line
* Yorkshire Bank
* Asda
*Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
''Hospitality in the city centre''
* Queens Hotel
* Malmaison Hotel
* Radisson Blu Hotel
* The Ivy
*The Man Behind the Curtain
"The Man Behind the Curtain" is the 20th episode of the Lost (season 3), 3rd season of ''Lost (TV series), Lost'', and the 69th episode overall. It was first aired on May 9, 2007, on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The episode was directed by ...
*Miller and Carter
Mitchells & Butlers plc (also referred to as "M&B") runs circa 1,784 managed pubs, bars and restaurants throughout the United Kingdom. The company's headquarters are in Birmingham, England. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange a ...
Outside of the city centre, First Direct have their headquarters at Stourton, while HBOS have major offices in Lovell Park.
Leeds Lights
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, 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 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 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 the lights, such as The Headrow's champagne bottle lights.
Celebrities who turned on the Leeds Christmas lights:
*2018 – Josh Warrington
Josh Warrington (born 14 November 1990) is an English professional boxer. He is a two-time world featherweight champion, having held the IBF title between 2018 and 2022. At regional level, he held the British, Commonwealth, European and WBC I ...
*2017 – Danny McGuire
Daniel Phillip McGuire (born 6 December 1982) is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played as a or , and is currently the interim head-coach of Hull Kingston Rovers. He spent the majority of his professional career play ...
and Rob Burrow
*2016 – Claire Morris
*2015 – Alex Peel
*2014 – Sam Bailey and G4
*2013 – Gabriella Cilmi
Gabriella Lucia Cilmi ( ; ; born 10 October 1991) is an Australian pop singer. A contralto, Cilmi is known for her distinctive raspy singing voice.
Her debut album, '' Lessons to Be Learned'', was released in March 2008, becoming a moderate in ...
and The Vamps
*2012 – Jonathan Brownlee
Jonathan Callum Brownlee (born 30 April 1990) is a British professional duathlete and triathlete. He is a six-time World champion (once World Triathlon Series, twice World Sprint Triathlon, three-time World Triathlon Mixed Relay), and one-t ...
*2011 – Matt Cardle
*2010 – McFly, Shayne Ward
Shayne Thomas Ward (born 16 October 1984) is an English actor and singer. He rose to fame as the winner of the second series of ''The X Factor''. His debut single, "That's My Goal", was released in the United Kingdom on 21 December 2005 an ...
(Miley Cyrus)
*2009 – Pixie Lott (late replacement for Alexandra Burke
Alexandra Imelda Cecelia Ewen Burke (born 25 August 1988) is a British singer, songwriter and actress. She won the fifth series of the British television series '' The X Factor'' in 2008, and has been signed to Epic Records, RCA Records and S ...
), Mini Viva
Mini 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 ...
, Girls Can't Catch
Girls 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 chart. The band were dro ...
with guest appearances from Lorraine Kelly
Lorraine Kelly, (born 30 November 1959) is a Scottish journalist and television presenter. She has presented various television shows for ITV, including '' Good Morning Britain'' (1988–1992), '' GMTV'' (1993–2010), ''This Morning'' (2003 ...
and members of LUFC and Leeds Rhinos.
*2008 – Leon Jackson, Alesha Dixon
Alesha Anjanette Dixon (born 7 October 1978) is an English singer, rapper, dancer, television personality, and author. She gained recognition in the early 2000s as a member of the R&B, garage and hip hop group Mis-Teeq. The group disbanded ...
, Simon Webbe and Same Difference.
*2007 – Shayne Ward
Shayne Thomas Ward (born 16 October 1984) is an English actor and singer. He rose to fame as the winner of the second series of ''The X Factor''. His debut single, "That's My Goal", was released in the United Kingdom on 21 December 2005 an ...
, Dick and Dom, Chico.
*2006 – McFly (Gaynor Faye
Gaynor Kay Mellor (born 26 August 1971), better known as Gaynor Faye, is an English actress and writer, best known for playing Judy Mallett in ''Coronation Street'' from 1995 until 1999 and Megan Macey in ''Emmerdale'' from 2012 until 2019 ...
and Jane Tomlinson also appeared)
*2005 – Rachel Stevens and the Lovebites with Nicki Chapman presenting.
*2004 – Chris Moyles and Girls Aloud
*2003 – Phill Jupitus
Phillip Christopher Jupitus (, ''né'' Swan; born 25 June 1962) is an English stand-up and improv comedian, actor, performance poet, cartoonist and podcaster. Jupitus was a team captain on all but one BBC Two-broadcast episode of music quiz ...
*2002 – Ainsley Harriott
*2001 – Vinnie Jones and Lucas Radebe
Lucas Valeriu Ntuba Radebe OIS (born 12 April 1969) is a South African former professional footballer who played as a centre back.
He began playing in South Africa with Kaizer Chiefs, before transferring to Leeds United, where he played 256 m ...
*2000 – Mark Lamarr
Mark Lamarr (born Mark Jones, 7 January 1967) is an English comedian, writer, radio DJ, and television presenter. He was a team captain on '' Shooting Stars'' from 1995 to 1997, and hosted '' Never Mind the Buzzcocks'' from 1996 to 2005.
Early l ...
, Dave Benson-Phillips, Harry Kewell
Harry Kewell (born 22 September 1978) is an Australian association football coach, manager and former player. His most recent role as a club manager was at English National League side Barnet, and he is currently a first team coach at Celtic ...
, Sheree Murphy and Billie Piper
*1998 – Mel B
Melanie Janine Brown (born 29 May 1975), commonly known as Melanie B or Mel B, is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. She rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of the girl group Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Sc ...
and Les Dennis
*1997 – Rolf Harris and Rod Hull & Emu
*1996 – Dale Winton
*1995 – Little and Large, Right Said Fred and PJ and Duncan
*1994 – Paul Daniels
*1993 – Noel Edmonds & Mr Blobby
*1992 – Sonia
*1989 – Melanie Hill
*1986 – Native American Joe Sierra
*1983 – Russ Abbot
Transport
Rail
Leeds city centre is served by Leeds railway station. The station is one of 20 in Great Britain to be managed by Network Rail
Network Rail Limited is the owner (via its subsidiary Network Rail Infrastructure Limited, which was known as Railtrack plc before 2002) and infrastructure manager of most of the railway network in Great Britain. Network Rail is an "arm's len ...
. 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 Airport
Leeds Bradford Airport is located in Yeadon, in the City of Leeds Metropolitan District in West Yorkshire, England, about northwest of Leeds city centre, and about northeast from Bradford city centre. It serves Leeds and Bradford and the ...
. 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.
Road
Traffic passing past Leeds city centre is diverted away from the main areas by the Leeds Inner Ring Road, 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.
Buses
The most notable bus service within central Leeds is the LeedsCityBus service operated by First Leeds and funded by West Yorkshire Metro
Metro is the passenger information brand used by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority in England. It was formed on 1 April 1974 as the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (WYPTE) at the same time as the metropolitan county of West Yor ...
. 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
A bus station or a bus interchange is a structure where city or intercity buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers. While the term bus depot can also be used to refer to a bus station, it generally refers to a bus garage. A bus station is ...
in the east of the city. However, as a rule only buses heading out of the City of Leeds
The City of Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. The metropolitan borough includes the administrative centre of Leeds and the towns of Farsley, Garforth, Guiseley, Horsforth, Morley, Otley, Pudsey, Rothwe ...
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.
Location grid
References
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
{{Wikivoyage, Leeds/Central, Central Leeds
'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.
Places in Leeds
Central business districts in the United Kingdom