has shaped Leeds city centre
Discover how structural and civil engineering
Distance: up to 2 ¾ miles Duration: up to 2 hours
City centre circular walk
An Engineered City
Leeds:
Leeds: An Engineered City
Visitor Information
The majority of the route is suitable for both pushchairs and
wheelchairs and there are bus stops and a water taxi
available along sections of the route. The Leeds CityBus
also serves parts of the route.
For parking information, visit: www.leeds.gov.uk/parking
For public transport information, visit: www.wymetro.com
For information and leaflets on walking in and around Leeds
visit:
http://www.leeds.gov.uk/leisure/Pages/Recreationalroutes.a
spx
For additional copies of this leaflet please contact
colin.riches@mottmac.com by email or call in to:
Leeds Tourist Information Centre, VisitLeeds and Art
Gallery Shop, Headrow, Leeds, LS1 3AA; Monday -
Saturday 10am-5pm and Sunday 11am-3pm
/continued from overleaf
Supported by:
Bottom: Leeds Town Hall
Top: Leeds Dock
Cover images:
Institution of Civil Engineers
Delivered in partnership with the
Wales No. 233392 and in Scotland No. SC038263
Registered with the Charity Commission for England and
Kingdom
HQ, 47-58 Bastwick Street, London, EC1V 3PS, United
© The Institution of Structural Engineers, International
Compiled by Colin Riches BEng PhD CEng MIStructE
Wheeler and Richard Gibson
Photographs © Colin Riches, Jonathan Carr, Nick
w: www.istructe.org
e: colin.riches@mottmac.com
t: +44 (0)113 394 6700
Structural Engineers, Yorkshire Region:
engineering enquiry, please contact the Institution of
For more information on this leaflet or any other structural
Further Information
Exit The Victoria Quarter to the west on to Briggate, traditionally
the main shopping street in Leeds. Head north up Briggate
crossing the Headrow on to New Briggate. Turn left on to Merrion
Street, then right along Wade Lane following signs for/
14. Leeds Arena. The Leeds Arena is a 13,500 capacity entertainment
focused arena. The arena is constructed in a super theatre fan shaped
format as opposed to the more conventional bowl or horse-shoe seating
arrangement commonly used by most arenas in the United Kingdom.
From the main square outside Leeds Arena, turn south down clay
Pit Lane, crossing Woodhouse Lane on to Cookridge Street and
Millenium Square, home to Leeds City Museum.
15. Leeds City Museum. Leeds
City Museum opened on 13
September 2008 following a
comprehensive redevelopment
of the former Leeds Institute
building designed by Cuthbert
Brodrick. The redevelopment
included the removal of the
theatre stage, strengthening of
the floors to allow for the
installation of heavy exhibits and the removal of existing services and
integration of energy efficient building services whilst maintaining the
buildings internal ‘listed’ features. The new museum includes seven
exhibition spaces spread over four floors. Each gallery covers a different
theme such as the Life on Earth collection which has everything from
prehistoric fossils to the bones of an enormous giant elk.
16. Millennium Square was Leeds' flagship project to mark the year
2000. It houses many of the city's most famous landmarks, including the
Town Hall, Leeds Civic Hall, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds Academy
and Leeds College of Art. It has become a focal point for events as well
as civic ceremonies, fairs, markets and street entertainment. On April
30, 2001, the former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela
appeared on stage in the square to open the adjoining Nelson Mandela
Gardens and was given the Freedom of the City. He famously mis-
acknowledged the crowd by saying how happy he was to be in Liverpool!
Cross the square to Calverley Street and head downhill crossing
Great George Street, to Victoria Square fronting on to/
international voice on behalf of structural engineers.
structural engineering by upholding professional standards and acting as an
The core work of the Institution is supporting and protecting the profession of
safety within the built environment.
information concerning all issues that involve structural engineering and public
The Institution is an internationally recognised source of expertise and
world.
The Institution has over 28,000 members working in 105 countries around the
organisation dedicated to the art and science of structural engineering.
The Institution of Structural Engineers is the world’s largest membership
expertise.
delivering sustainable development through knowledge, skills and professional
based overseas. ICE’s vision is to place civil engineering at the heart of society,
energy. Established in 1818, it has over 90,000 members, 25% of whom are
expertise in transport, water supply and treatment, flood management, waste and
The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) is a leading source of professional
in 1993.
Stand at Elland Road (the home of Leeds United) was the longest in the world when completed
Yorkshire since its construction in 2005. Outside the city centre the cantilever roof to the East
Bridgewater Place building nicknamed ‘The Dalek’ which has been the tallest building in
Centre and 13,000 seat First Direct Arena, both completed in 2013, and the 32 storey
Other modern structures of note (that can be seen on this walk) include the Trinity Shopping
station platforms.
converted to a shopping mall and a new steel and glass roof being constructed over the 17
underwent a major redevelopment, with the disused 1930’s ‘art-deco’ parcels depot being
Leeds has the third busiest railway station in the UK, outside of London, which in 2002
England in the UK.
and international banks located in the city, including the only subsidiary office of the Bank of
insurance services industry worth £13 billion to the Leeds economy, with more than 30 national
After London, Leeds is the largest legal and financial centre in the UK, with the financial and
Plaza Hotel which stood at 77 metres.
building held onto this record for over 100 years until 1966 when it was eclipsed by the Park
of its construction in 1858 this was the tallest building in Leeds with a height of 68.6m. The
Grade 1 listed Leeds Town Hall building being commissioned by Leeds Corporation. At the time
development of the city’s architecture with signature buildings such as Cuthbert Brodrick’s
flourished. It was predominantly through the wealth the wool trade brought that saw
dominant industry, but flax, engineering, iron foundries, printing, and other industries also
of wool. During the Industrial Revolution, Leeds developed into a major mill town; wool was the
During the 17th and 18th centuries Leeds became a major centre for the production and trading
buildings in the area, including the steps leading to Leeds Bridge.
auspices of Henry VIII. Much of the stone from the monastery was removed for re-use in other
founded c.1152 but disestablished during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539 under the
sited adjacent to the River Aire in Kirkstall to the north-west of the current city centre which was
The oldest surviving building in Leeds is Kirkstall Abbey, which is a ruined Cistercian monastery
century to being the name attached to the present metropolitan borough.
Kingdom of Elmet. It changed from being the name of a small manorial borough in the 13th
Leeds (originally Leodis) can be traced to the 5th century name for a wooded area of the
shape the city of Leeds
civil engineering has helped
Discover how structural and
17. Leeds Town Hall. Leeds Town Hall was built between 1853 and
1858 on Park Lane (now The Headrow), to a design by architect
Cuthbert Brodrick.
Continue back down Calverley Street and East Parade then down
King Street. Turn left down Quebec Street, which leads on to Leeds
City Square. Leeds City Square houses many fine buildings
including the northern entrance to Leeds Station, the Queen’s
Hotel, Old Post Office and No.1 City Square. Cross to the east side
of the square past Mill Hill Chapel in to the east entrance of/
18. Trinity Leeds, a shopping
and leisure centre named after
the adjacent 18th-century Holy
Trinity Church. It opened on 21
March 2013, with over 130,000
recorded visitors on opening day.
The development is in two parts:
Trinity East, a new build
development on the site of the
former Trinity and Burton
Arcades, and Trinity West, the
redeveloped Leeds Shopping
Plaza.
A 3,716 m2 glass dome is the centrepiece of Trinity East; its 1902 glass
panels rise 30.5m above street level. The dome is built on a steel
framework, and during construction was supported on an immense
scaffold structure, which when removed in early 2012 resulted in the
dome deflecting 20mm. The dome is large enough for the Corn
Exchange to fit under.
Exit Trinity Leeds through its south entrance on to Boar Lane; turn
right and then the first left up New Station Street to get to the main
entrance of the final point of interest on the walk/
19. Leeds Railway Station, the mainline railway station serving the city
centre of Leeds. The current station was formed when two railway
stations (New Station and Wellington) were combined to form Leeds City
Station, in 1938. In 1869 New Station opened as a joint enterprise by
the LNWR and the North Eastern Railway. A mile-long connection was
built, carried entirely on viaducts and bridges. The station was built
partially on a bridge over the River Aire adjacent to Wellington railway
station.
Leeds: An Engineered City

The city centre walk has been designed so that it is tackled as a 5. Leeds Bridge is a historic 9. Leeds Minster, or the Minster
single circular walk. The walk could alternatively be split to cover river crossing in Leeds, and Parish Church of Saint Peter-
just the South Bank or North Bank of the city, starting at Leeds England. The present cast iron at-Leeds. This is a large Church of
Station and finishing at Leeds Dock, where a free water taxi can be road bridge over the River Aire England foundation of major
taken back to Leeds Station. dates from 1870, built by W. H. architectural and liturgical
Barlow to a design by T. Dyne significance. A church is recorded
The circular walk can be started at any point - we suggest the new
Steel. It is Grade II listed, and on the site as early as the 7th
Southern Entrance to Leeds Station.
the site, in 1888, of a century, although the present
1. Leeds Station is the second pioneering moving picture structure is a Gothic Revival one,
busiest outside London. recording of Traffic Crossing dating from the mid-19th century.
Increasing passenger demand, Leeds Bridge by Louis Le
Prince; probably the world’s first successful moving pictures. From the Minster head north-
congestion to the existing
west on to Kirkgate, the oldest
northern entrance and an
Turnaround and head south down Hunslet Road, past the ‘flatiron’ street in Leeds and currently
aspiration to reduce journey
shaped Leeds Bridge House to... undergoing redevelopment, until
times to the expanding south of
you reach Call Lane on the left.
the city has resulted in the need 6. The Tetley. The former headquarters building for Tetley's Brewery. Head down Call Lane and on the
for the new Leeds Station This Art Deco building now houses a centre for contemporary art and left hand side you will arrive at/
Southern Entrance (LSSE). learning, including the Tetley Collection with relics from the brewery's
past. 10. The Corn Exchange. Designed
The award winning entrance is the signature component of Leeds City
by Cuthbert Brodrick, the Grade I
Council’s south bank sustainable masterplan. Located over the River At this point you can either turn back and walk east along Dock listed structure was opened in
Aire, the new structure, comprising a curved steel diagrid frame, Street and then along the riverside or head down Hunslet Road to 1863. The dome design was based
exposed internally, is partially supported by the existing Victorian Crown Point Road, towards Leeds Dock, which houses the... on that of the Bourse de commerce
masonry viaduct and by two concrete piers supported on piles socketed
of Paris by François-Joseph
into bedrock below the river bed. 7. Royal Armouries Museum. The Royal Armouries Museum is a Bélanger and François Brunet,
national museum which displays the National Collection of Arms and completed in 1811. Leeds Corn
Exit the station building and head right past through Granary Armour. The £42.5 million purpose built museum building, located in
Wharf, past the Double Tree by Hilton and across the Leeds Exchange is now just one of three
Leeds Dock, opened in 1996. corn exchanges in the UK which
Liverpool canal and on to Water Lane; turn right
on to Globe Road to Tower Works operates in its traditional capacity as a centre for
Key N trade, albeit no longer for trading in corn.

Exiting the Corn Exchange, head generally

Walking Route northward up New Market Street, that inevitably
Water Taxi Route leads to/
14
Point of Interest 1
Approx 250m

The existence of a road or path on this map does not imply a right of way. Not all roads are shown.

16 15

17

2. Tower Works is a former factory notable for its

three listed towers. It is located on Globe Road in 13 12
Holbeck, Leeds, West Yorkshire, next to the Leeds
and Liverpool Canal. The Italianate towers of the 11 11. Leeds Kirkgate Market, the largest covered
factory are a distinctive landmark on the Leeds 18 market in Europe. There are currently 800 stalls
skyline. which attract over 100,000 visitors a week. In 1884,
10 Kirkgate Market was the founding location of Marks
Double back to continue west along Water Lane & Spencer which opened in Leeds Market as a
then either cut through the Holbeck Urban 19 9
penny bazaar.
Village or turn left down Marshall Street,
walking approximately 200m to/ 1 5 In 1893, a design competition was held to find an
architect capable of designing an opulent new hall
Granary Wharf
to the front of the market. A prize of £150 was set
2 7 for the winner, which (following allegations of
4 6 corruption in the competition) was awarded to
Leeds Dock Joseph and John Leeming of London. Despite
8 misgivings about the award of the design, the plans
went ahead and the corporation budgeted £80,000
3 for building the new hall.

From Leeds Kirkgate Market it is a short walk

3. Temple Works, a former flax mill in Holbeck. It was designed by
engineer James Combe a former pupil of John Rennie, David Roberts,
architect Joseph Bonomi the Younger and built in the Egyptian style by
John Marshall between 1836 and 1840. Temple Works is the only Grade
I listed building in Holbeck. The building is currently in a state of some
disrepair, but there are hopes that a new and sustainable use for this
magnificent building can be found.
north up Vicar Lane to Victoria Gate and The
8. Leeds Dock (formerly New Dock and previously Clarence Dock) is a Victoria Quarter
mixed development with retail, office and leisure presence by the River
12. Victoria Gate, is a £165 million retail development recently
Aire. The dock itself was originally constructed for boats using the Leeds
constructed. It is well worth a visit inside, if nothing else than to admire
and Liverpool Canal and the Aire and Calder Navigation to tranship
the undulating glass roof and precast concrete and brick cladding
goods and commodities from Leeds city centre in 1843.
panels.
13. The Victoria Quarter is a series of upmarket covered shopping
arcades. It consists of three blocks situated between Briggate and Vicar
Lane, comprising County Arcade, Cross Arcade, Queen Victoria Street
and King Edward Street.

Head east along Leodis Court and left on David Street, to re-join
Water Lane. Turn right to head east along Water Lane to the
junction of Victoria Road.

4. Bridgewater Place, is an
office and residential
development in Leeds, West
Yorkshire, England. It is the
tallest building in Yorkshire. It
is visible at up to 25 miles from
certain areas. The building
has become controversial in
both its aesthetic design and
because of accidents caused
by its acceleration of winds. At this point it is possible to end the walk by getting the free water
Wind baffles and screens taxi from Leeds Dock to Granary Wharf. Alternatively, head north
have been built along Water over the Crown Point bridge. Once over the River Aire, take the first
Lane and adjoining the left on to The Calls. Head west on The Calls taking either the first
building to alleviate the wind right on to Maude Street or up Church Row to reach/
issues. The development was originally built around 1900 and designed by the
theatre architect Frank Matcham. The exteriors are largely of faience
Cross over Victoria Road from the Burmantofts Pottery, and the interiors of the arcades contain a
and head down a public number of mosaics and plentiful use of marble. The Quarter was
footpath immediately adjacent to the south bank of the River Aire restored in phases between 1989 and 1996, during which a coloured
(historically an extension of Water Lane). Pass ASDA House, the glass roof was erected over Queen Victoria Street.
UK headquarters of ASDA and continue along Water Lane to Bridge
End, the southern end of Leeds Bridge. /continued overleaf