It’s not often we visit cities.
After our week in and around Shropshire we then booked a couple of nights away in Horsforth, in the northwestern suburbs of Leeds.
Lisabet has family history in Leeds, which fuelled part of our reason for staying, but it’s also genuinely a lovely city. And also, apparently, undergoing massive investments, improvements, and upgrades. Skyscrapers growing, streets are clean, arcades and food halls full… Leeds seems to be thriving.
We spent a good part of the morning and afternoon wandering around the city, photographing the sights, checking out the history, exploring museums, and enjoying tasty food and drink while we’re at it.
All photos taken on my Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. RAWs developed in Lightroom, merged in Photomatix, then edited and finalised in Photoshop.
The Griffin on Boar Lane, formerly a hotel but now a pub. You must admit it’s a striking building, especially as it catches the morning light. A five-storey Victorian Gothic Revival hotel, it was originally built as a railway hotel for Leeds New Station. A famous feature is the distinctive clock face bearing “GRIFFIN HOTEL” instead of numerals.
Leeds City Square. The building on the left is the former Leeds General Post Office, opened in 1896. The fancy one in the middle is 1 City Square, completed in 1998, and houses a range of professional and legal firms with modern office spaces.
The impressive Leeds Town Hall, still in the process of being massively refurbished. Opened in 1858 with a ceremony involving Queen Victoria herself, it’s one of the largest Town Halls in the UK. Originally built to house law courts, a council chamber, offices, a public hall, and a suite of ceremonial rooms, it now serves mainly as a concert, conference and wedding venue.
We went to check out Leeds Art Gallery, inside which you can find this magnificent looking cafe, the Tiled Hall Café. Originally the main library reading room, this Victorian hall was renovated extensively in 2007.
Behind Leeds Town Hall, one can find the beautiful Leeds Civic Hall in Millennium Square. The Civic Hall took over administrative duties from Leeds Town Hall, being built in 1933. It’s glowing white exterior is, apart from the low sun shining directly on it, because it is constructed from Portland stone rather than the typical Yorkshire stone or brick.
The way to Leeds City Museum, framed by beautiful autumnal trees. It was built in 1819.
I enjoyed composing juxtapositions between old Leeds and new Leeds, such as this view down Vernon Street towards the old red-brick building pub, The Hedley Verity , with the to-be-completed United Students skyscraper.
Similarly, looking down Percival Street, lined with old red brick warehouses with the K2 Tower looming behind as a nice contrast.
The Leeds Arena with the old HBOS Leeds building glowing gold in the distance. Leeds Arena was opened in 2013, designed with a striking honeycomb design based on cellular geometric patterns, visible from key approaches. The façade can change colour or pattern in the evening depending on the event.
Looking the other way along the Leeds Arena’s front, more high rise student accommodation dominates the Leeds skyline.
Talking of old and new, here’s a more extreme example. The church is St. John the Evangelist’s Church, established in 1634 and is the oldest building in Leeds city centre. Now redundant, it’s under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. Dominating the skyline behind is the Scrape student accommodation building.
A reasonable argument could be made that no visit to Leeds is complete without checking out its famous Victorian arcades such as this one, Thornton’s Arcade, Leeds’ oldest shopping arcade.
The incredibly beautiful and ornate County Arcade, part of the Victoria Quarter.
Another part of County Arcade’s glorious architecture. The Victoria Quarter is known for its role in the redevelopment of Leeds’ city centre, and houses lots of luxury and premium brands. I felt very out of place.
Almost like a snapshot of a Dubai shopping mall. This is Victoria Gate, opened in 2016. Exquisite isn’t it? Quite overwhelming as well.
After a bite to eat at Jenny’s Jerk Chicken in the famous Kirkgate Food Hall, we continued our meanderings. On the left, No. 4 New York Street, originally a bank. In the distance, Leeds Minster rises imperiously.
Of course we also had to check out the old Corn Exchange. Opened in 1864 to take over from a previous smaller building, it was designed by Cuthbert Brodrick of Hull in the Italianate style. After falling out of use as a corn exchange in the late 1800s, it received new life from the 1980s onwards as a retail area.
We also enjoyed exploring the scenes along the River Aire, including this skyline of Leeds with the Crown Point Bridge, an 1842 construction.
An ultra-wide perspective from Leeds Dock, with the Royal Armouries Museum on the left.
One of many new developments at Leeds Dock courtesy of the Royal Armouries Museum.
A more unusual composition that I zoomed in tight on. Taken from Commercial Street, featuring a beautiful autumnal tree with the handsome buildings of Commercial Street behind and the skyscraper The Pinnacle blocking the sky, creating a surreal feel.