City Square, Leeds
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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 located on New Station Street to the south of City Square, at the foot of Park Ro ...
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 an English civil engineer responsible for the design of bridges, canals, harbours and lighthouses. He was also a capable mechanical engineer and an eminent scholar, who introduced various ...
, 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 ( Lord Mayor of Leeds 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 (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, during an air raid on Leeds, the
Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
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 ...
, 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 bench (furniture), benches, traffic barriers, bollards, post boxes, phone boxes, streetlamps, traffic ...
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 is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
s.


Black Prince

The large equestrian statue is of
Edward, the Black Prince Edward of Woodstock (15 June 1330 – 8 June 1376), known as the Black Prince, was the eldest son and heir apparent of King Edward III of England. He died before his father and so his son, Richard II of England, Richard II, succession to the Br ...
(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, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
because it was too big for any British foundry. It was carried by sea to Hull, then on a barge along the
River Aire The River Aire is a major river in Yorkshire, England, in length. Part of the river below Leeds is canalised, and is known as the Aire and Calder Navigation. The ''Handbook for Leeds and Airedale'' (1890) notes that the distance from Malha ...
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 f ...
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 and the gift of Richard Wainwright.


John Harrison

John Harrison John Harrison ( – 24 March 1776) was an English carpenter and clockmaker who invented the marine chronometer, a long-sought-after device for solving the History of longitude, problem of how to calculate longitude while at sea. Harrison's sol ...
(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 Latin school, school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented Se ...
. 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 Leeds Minster, also known as the Minster and Parish Church of Saint Peter-at-Leeds (formerly Leeds Parish Church), is the minster church of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It stands on the site of the oldest church in the city and is of architec ...
) 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 na ...
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 graduated scientist trained in the study of chemistry, or an officially enrolled student in the field. Chemists study the composition of ...
and
theologian Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of ...
Joseph Priestley Joseph Priestley (; 24 March 1733 – 6 February 1804) was an English chemist, Unitarian, Natural philosophy, natural philosopher, English Separatist, separatist theologian, Linguist, grammarian, multi-subject educator and Classical libera ...
lived in Leeds from 1767 to 1773, and was the minister at Mill Hill Chapel, which is on the square. He used
carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalent bond, covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in a gas state at room temperature and at norma ...
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, 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

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. It is in
Ashlar Ashlar () is a cut and dressed rock (geology), stone, worked using a chisel to achieve a specific form, typically rectangular in shape. The term can also refer to a structure built from such stones. Ashlar is the finest stone masonry unit, a ...
, 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 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 Mill Hill Chapel 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 was erected outside Mill Hill Chapel 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, also known as terra cotta or terra-cotta (; ; ), is a clay-based non-vitreous ceramic OED, "Terracotta""Terracotta" MFA Boston, "Cameo" database fired at relatively low temperatures. It is therefore a term used for earthenware obj ...
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 which finishes in
Scarborough, North Yorkshire Scarborough () is a seaside town and civil parish in North Yorkshire District, the district and North Yorkshire, county of North Yorkshire, England. With a population of 61,749, Scarborough is the largest town on the Yorkshire Coast and the No ...
.


See also

*
Leeds city centre Leeds city centre is the central business district of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is roughly bounded by the Leeds Inner Ring Road, Inner Ring Road to the north and the River Aire to the south and can be divided into several quarters. A ...
*
Millennium Square, Leeds Millennium Square is a city square in the Leeds city centre#Civic-quarter, Civic Quarter of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was Leeds's flagship project to mark the year 2000, and was jointly funded by Leeds City Council and the Millennium Co ...
*
Park Square, Leeds Park Square is a Georgian architecture, Georgian public square in central Leeds, West Yorkshire. The square is grassed over and is a traditional Georgian park. The square is in Leeds' financial quarter and is surrounded by Georgian buildings, ...


References

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