Leeds
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Leeds (
pronunciation (help·info)) is located on the River Aire in West Yorkshire, England. It is the urban core and administrative centre of the wider metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds. The county borough of Leeds was awarded city status in 1893, but in 1974 this status was transferred to the larger new metropolitan borough named "City of Leeds". Thus Leeds, although commonly referred to as a "city", does not have this legal status unless the wider area is being discussed.
Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, the recorded history of Leeds can be traced to the 5th century when the Kingdom of Elmet was covered by the forest of "Loidis", the origin of the name Leeds. During the Industrial Revolution, Leeds developed into a major industrial centre for the production and trade of wool, before emerging as a centre for commerce and higher education, being the location of the University of Leeds, Leeds Metropolitan University and Leeds Trinity and All Saints. Today Leeds is one of the largest financial and legal centres outside London.[1]
According to the 2001 UK census, the population of the Leeds Urban Sub-division (an ONS measure) was 443,247,[2] whereas the wider City of Leeds metropolitan borough has a population of 761,200 (mid-2007 estimate) and is one of the eight largest English cities outside London that form the English Core Cities Group. It is near the centre of the West Yorkshire metropolitan county which has a population of over 2.1 million.
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[edit] History
The name "Leeds" is thought to be derived from "Loidis", a word of Celtic origin.[3] Bede wrote: "...regione quae vocatur Loidis" — region known as Loidis. This root also survives in the nearby place names of Ledston and Ledsham. Leeds was mentioned as "Ledes" in the Domesday Book of 1086, after which the name evolved into "Leedes" and finally "Leeds".
Leeds was an agricultural market town in the Middle Ages, and received its first charter in 1207. In the Tudor period Leeds was mainly a merchant town, manufacturing woollen cloths and trading with Europe via the Humber estuary. The population grew from 10,000 at the end of the 17th century to 30,000 at the end of the 18th. At one point nearly half of England's total exports passed through Leeds. At the time of the Industrial Revolution Leeds grew rapidly and the population rose to over 150,000 by 1840. The city's industrial growth was helped by the building of the Aire and Calder Navigation in 1699, Leeds and Liverpool Canal in 1816 and the railway in 1848. In 1893 Leeds was granted city status. The industries that developed in the Industrial Revolution included making machinery for spinning, machine tools, steam engines and gears as well as other industries based on textiles, chemicals, leather and pottery. Coal was extracted on a large scale and the Middleton Railway, the first successful commercial steam locomotive railway in the world, transported coal from Middleton colliery into the centre of Leeds. The first permanent set of fully automatic traffic lights in the world were installed at the junction of Park Row and Bond Street, Leeds, in 1928.
By the 20th century this social and economic base started to change as Leeds saw the creation of the academic institutions that are known today as the University of Leeds, Leeds Metropolitan University and Leeds Trinity & All Saints. This period also witnessed expansion in medical institutions, particularly the Leeds General Infirmary and St James's Hospital. Following World War II there was a decline in the secondary industries that had thrived in the 19th century. In 1951, half the workforce was still occupied in manufacturing; by 1971 the figure was a third. Leeds lost a third of its manufacturing jobs during 1971–1981.[4] In 1991, 64,000 were employed in manufacturing. In 2003, 2,103 firms employed 44,500 (10% of workforce).[5] However there are still some large engineering firms, the largest of which make turbine blades, components, alloys, valves and pipelines for the oil industry, switchgear, printers' supplies, copper alloys, surgical and hospital equipment, pumps, motors and radiators.
In the 1980s, the Conservative government designated Urban Development Corporation status on a number of areas of UK cities: some declining areas were taken out of local authority control and government funding was provided with the aim of speeding up and concentrating private sector investment in the most run-down areas. Leeds Development Corporation ran from 1988–1995 and helped to focus attention on two decayed industrial areas, the lower Kirkstall Valley and the riverside area to the south east of the city centre. Achievements of LDC included refurbishment of many riverside properties, the opening up of Granary Wharf and the Royal Armouries development.
Leeds is generally regarded as the dominant city of the ceremonial county of West Yorkshire, although the presence of other large cities and towns (such as Bradford and Huddersfield) means that this dominance is less pronounced than in most other English metropolitan areas.
[edit] Governance
Leeds is the administrative core of the City of Leeds metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire. It was an independent county borough in the West Riding of Yorkshire from 1889 to 1974.[6] The metropolitan borough covers a much wider area than Leeds' urban core and includes once separate towns such as Morley, Otley and Wetherby. See history and geography of the City of Leeds.
Leeds City Council, which is based in Leeds Civic Hall in the city centre, governs the whole metropolitan district. It has 99 elected members, three for each of 33 wards; councillors are elected for a four year term, and one third are elected at local elections held in three years out of four. As of 2007[update] it is controlled by a coalition of Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Independent members. The Conservative and Liberal Democrat group leaders take the rôle of Leader of the Council for six months alternately.
Leeds is represented by six MPs, for the constituencies of Elmet, Leeds Central, Leeds East, Leeds North East, Leeds North West and Leeds West. Apart from Leeds Central these constituencies also cover areas outside the core of the city, but within the metropolitan district. Leeds North West is represented by a Liberal Democrat and the rest by Labour.
Leeds is within the Yorkshire and the Humber European constituency, which is represented by two Conservative, two Labour, one Liberal Democrat and one UKIP MEPs.
[edit] Lord Mayor of Leeds
The first mayor of Leeds, in 1662, was Thomas Danby after whom Leeds Thomas Danby college is named. A popular Victorian mayor was Henry Rowland Marsden whose statue can be seen near the university. There were 240 mayors until, in 1897, Queen Victoria gave the city the privilege of having a Lord Mayor. The Lord Mayor is elected in May each year from and by the members of Leeds City Council and is the Chair of the Council.[7]
The Lord Mayor fulfils many ceremonial duties during the year, and chooses a "Lord Mayor's charity" to support. The full title of the Lord Mayor is "The Right Worshipful the Lord Mayor of the City of Leeds". Although the Lord Mayor's remit covers the whole of the City of Leeds metropolitan district, there are also town mayors in some of the other towns in this district.
A full list of Aldermen (1626–1661), Mayors (1662–1896) and Lord Mayors (from 1897) is available on the council's website.[8]
[edit] Geography
Leeds is situated in the eastern foothills of the Pennines astride the River Aire whose valley, the Aire Gap, provides a road and rail corridor that facilitates communications with cities to the west of the Pennines.
[edit] Temperature and rainfall
 Weather averages for Leeds  |
|||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Average high °C (°F) | 5.8 (42) |
5.9 (43) |
8.7 (48) |
11.3 (52) |
15.0 (59) |
18.2 (65) |
19.9 (68) |
19.9 (68) |
17.3 (63) |
13.4 (56) |
8.8 (48) |
6.7 (44) |
|
| Average low °C (°F) | 0.3 (33) |
0.2 (32) |
1.6 (35) |
3.1 (38) |
5.5 (42) |
8.5 (47) |
10.4 (51) |
10.5 (51) |
8.7 (48) |
6.3 (43) |
2.9 (37) |
1.2 (34) |
|
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 61 (2.4) |
45 (1.77) |
52 (2.05) |
48 (1.89) |
54 (2.13) |
54 (2.13) |
51 (2.01) |
65 (2.56) |
57 (2.24) |
55 (2.17) |
57 (2.24) |
61 (2.4) |
|
| Source: Met Office[9] 2008 | |||||||||||||
[edit] Location grid
| NW: Ilkley, Skipton | North: Harrogate, Otley | NE: Wetherby, York |
| West: Bradford | Leeds | East: Hull, Selby |
| SW: Halifax, Huddersfield | South: Dewsbury, Wakefield | SE: Castleford, Doncaster |
[edit] Areas of the city
- For list of places within the City of Leeds metropolitan district, but outside the primary urban area, see Leeds environs
Until the 1974 reorganisation of local government, the County Borough of Leeds included the former parishes of Armley, Beeston, Bramley, Chapel Allerton, Farnley, Headingley / Burley, Holbeck, Hunslet, Leeds, Osmondthorpe, Potter Newton, Seacroft, Temple Newsam (covering the areas of Austhorpe, Colton, Halton, Halton Moor and Whitkirk) and Wortley.[10]
[edit] Demography and demonyms
- See also: List of riots in Leeds
An inhabitant of Leeds is locally known as a Loiner, a word of uncertain origin,[11] possibly from Loidis, an early name for the region mentioned around 700 AD by Bede. The term is rarely used or understood. The mock-classical adjectives Leodensian and Leodiensian are sometimes used by some local sports clubs, and the word Leodensian also features in the lyrics of "I Predict a Riot" by Kaiser Chiefs, although in that context it was referring to John Smeaton, a famous 18th century resident of the city (who resided in Austhorpe Lodge, now the site of Austhorpe Primary School) as a founder of Leeds Grammar School, as a Leeds Grammar School alumnus is called an Old Leodensian.
There is a concentrated student population in Burley and Headingley, to the north west of Central Leeds and Adel, Alwoodley and Moortown, in North Leeds, have a large Jewish community.[12] The city has three recognised red-light districts — Spencer Place[13] in Chapeltown, Water Lane in Holbeck[14] and the areas surrounding the City of Mabgate public house in Mabgate, taking in Roseville Road, Telephone Street and Mushroom Street. Leeds has also had many riots in Hunslet, Holbeck, Quarry Hill and more recently Chapeltown and Harehills.
| Population growth in Leeds since 1901 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1901 | 1911 | 1921 | 1931 | 1939 | 1951 | 1961 | 1971 | 1991 | 2001 | |
| Population | 428,968 | 445,550 | 458,232 | 482,809 | 457,411 | 505,219 | 510,676 | 496,036 | 424,194 | 443,247 | |
| County Borough 1901-1971 [15] • Urban Subdivision 1981-2001[16][17] | |||||||||||
[edit] Economy
|
Leeds was voted 'Britain's Best City for Business' by Omis Research in 2003 but dropped to 3rd place behind Manchester and Glasgow in 2005 ("Relative under-performance over the past two years in transport improvements and cost competitiveness were the major contributing factors"). It is also regarded by some as one of the fastest growing cities in the UK[18][19][20] and has a diverse economy with the service sector now dominating over the city's manufacturing industries. Leeds is one of the largest financial centres in England outside the capital.[21] New tertiary industries such as retail, call centres, offices and media have contributed to a high rate of economic growth since the early 1990s. Leeds was successful in becoming the first British city to have full broadband and digital coverage during the dot-com bubble, enabling it to become one of the key hubs in the emerging new media sector. Companies such as Freeserve, Energis, Sportal, TEAMtalk, Contactmusic.com and Ananova emerged from Leeds to dominate the UK internet industry. Now, over 33% of the UK's internet traffic is claimed to go through Leeds,[citation needed] making it one of the most important regional internet centres in the UK. Over 100,000 people work in financial and business services in Leeds, the largest number of any UK city outside London.[22] The strength of the economy is also indicated by the low unemployment rate.
Although Leeds' economy has boomed in recent years, the prosperity has not spread to all parts of the city. Many areas south and east of central Leeds remain deprived, although are slowly starting to benefit from inward investment. Previously deprived areas have benefited from the economic growth such as Chapeltown and Kirkstall.
- Shopping
Leeds has an extensive and diverse range of shops and department stores, and has been described by the Lonely Planet guides as the 'Knightsbridge of the North'.[23] The diverse range of shopping facilities, from individual one-off boutiques to large department stores such as Harvey Nichols and Louis Vuitton outlets, has greatly expanded the Leeds retail base. The Victoria Quarter, several existing arcades connected together by roofing the entirety of Queen Victoria Street with stained glass, is located off Briggate, Leeds' main shopping street. Other popular shopping attractions include Leeds Kirkgate Market, Granary Wharf, Leeds Shopping Plaza, Headrow Shopping Centre, The Light, The St John's Centre, The Merrion Centre Leeds, Birstall Retail Park and the White Rose Centre. In addition, there are also two proposed shopping developments, namely the Eastgate Quarters and Trinity Quarter, the former due to be anchored by John Lewis and a second Marks and Spencer store for the city.
- Tourism
Leeds has received several accolades in the field of tourism; including being voted by Condé Nast Traveler magazine Readers' Awards as the "UK's favourite city" in 2004, "Best English city to visit outside London" in 2005, and also "Visitor city of the year" by The Good Britain Guide in 2005. Situated close to the UK's geographical centre, the city benefits from good transport connections with the M1 running from Leeds to London, the M62 connecting Leeds with Manchester and the seaport cities of Hull and Liverpool, and the A1(M) for linking to the north. Leeds Bradford International Airport is a rapidly growing regional UK airports, with an 87 per cent growth in terminal passenger numbers in the last five years.[24][25] Over 450 weekly flights connect the city to over 70 major European business and holiday destinations.[26]
Tourism in Leeds is estimated to support over 20,000 full time equivalent jobs, and on average Leeds attracts around 1.5 million people annually who stay overnight, plus a further 10 million who visit on day trips.[27] Visitors to the city bring in nearly £735 million into the local economy each year and Leeds. Major national and regional attractions include the Royal Armouries, Leeds Art Gallery, the Henry Moore Institute and the West Yorkshire Playhouse. Leeds is also the only city outside London to have both its own opera and ballet companies – the internationally acclaimed Opera North and Northern Ballet Theatre.
- Development
- Further information: List of tallest buildings in Leeds and Architecture of Leeds
In recent times Leeds has seen many new developments, with high rise schemes making a much larger mark on Leeds' skyline. Sixteen skyscrapers are currently under construction or proposed, all of them taller than West Riding House (262 ft/80 m) — Leeds' tallest building from 1972–2005.[28] Bridgewater Place recently became the tallest building in Leeds. A taller building, the 561 ft (171 m) Lumiere building was planned to be finished by 2012 but building work has been put on hold as of 9 July 2008 owing to the state of the world economy.[29] The plan for even taller 'Kissing Towers' of Criterion Place has been scrapped for similar reasons.[30] Since postponing any further work on Lumiere, the developers have applied to Leeds City Council for the development to be revised, making it taller than the current proposals.
[edit] Landmarks
- See also: Architecture of Leeds
The ruins of Kirkstall Abbey, a Cistercian abbey dating from the 12th century, are in an open park alongside the River Aire in Kirkstall, to the west of the city centre. The abbey gatehouse houses the Abbey House Museum. To the east of the city centre, Temple Newsam house dates from the early 16th century and has an extensive estate including gardens and a rare breeds farm. The house was sold to Leeds City Council for a nominal sum in 1922, and is notable for its Jacobean architecture.
Lotherton Hall, with art collections and a bird garden, lies to the east of the city, Bramham Park to the north-east near Bramham, and Harewood House to the north. Kirkstall Abbey, Temple Newsam, and Lotherton Hall are owned and administered by Leeds City Council.
To the north lies Roundhay Park, the largest park in the city (in excess of 700 acres/2.8 square kilometres), with its Tropical World hothouse. The park hosts numerous concerts, as do Bramham Park and Temple Newsam Park. Other parks in the city include Golden Acre Park which lies between Adel and Bramhope, Hall Park in Horsforth, Woodhouse Moor in Hyde Park, Potternewton Park between Chapeltown and Harehills, Temple Newsam Park stretching from Halton Moor to Colton, East End Park in the location of the same name, Cross Flatts Park in Beeston and Middleton Park in Middleton. As well as suburban parks there is also the Georgian Park Square in Leeds City Centre.
[edit] Transport
[edit] Local
- Public transport
Leeds Travel Info is Leeds City Council's public access website providing real-time travel information in the Leeds area. West Yorkshire Metro provides bus and train information on its website,[31] and offers the "My Next Bus" service of real-time bus information by text message or online. This real-time information is also displayed in certain bus shelters.
The primary method of public transport around Leeds is by bus. The main provider is First Leeds, with Arriva Yorkshire serving routes to the south of the city. The bus network is highly developed with several guided busways operating on radial routes, as well as an extensive network of bus lanes and bus priority systems. A zero-fare bus service, the FreeCityBus, connects Leeds City Bus Station, Leeds City Station, the Universities, and Leeds General Infirmary via the public transport box every 6 minutes from Monday to Saturday.
All cross-city services use bus stops on and around the Public Transport Box (a box surrounding the core shopping area limited to public transport) and interchanges at Leeds City Station, Boar Lane and Infirmary Street. Leeds City Bus Station is used by many routes serving destinations outside the city and a minority of First Leeds buses.
From Leeds City station at New Station Street, MetroTrains operated by Northern Rail run to many of Leeds' suburbs and onwards to all parts of Leeds City Region. The MetroTrain network has been expanding since the 1980s, although overcrowding has resulted in expansion slowing in recent years with the last station opening at Glasshoughton in 2005. All of Leeds' suburbs sit within Metrocard Zones 1 and 2.
Leeds's former tram system was closed down in 1959, at around the same time that most other cities in the UK also abandoned tramways. [32] The central tram sheds were converted into Queens Hall, a concert hall, which was later demolished in 1989. The Bramley tram sheds were demolished in 1969.[33] Former tram buildings still existance on Abbey Road in Kirkstall, while tram poles still stand in Roundhay.
The city had plans in the 1990s and 2000s for a tram network known as Supertram. However the government axed the scheme due to an unwillingness to pay for any costs over budget, and the Department for Transport's apparent preference for a bus-based rapid transport scheme rather than a tram-based scheme.[34][35] A sub-surface tramway system which could double as a public air-raid shelter facility was proposed in the 1930s by Leeds City Council, with Central Government funding.[citation needed] The plans were axed as the Second World War commenced and funds were diverted to the war effort. Leeds remains the largest city in Europe without a mass transit system. [36]
A business case for a new Leeds Trolleybus[37] system in the region was submitted to the Department for Transport towards the end of 2007.If all goes smoothly, construction work could start on the first phase of the scheme by 2011.[38] This system would broadly follow the route of the axed Supertram project.
- Roads
There is an Inner Ring Road with part motorway status and an Outer Ring Road. The city centre is pedestrianised, and is encircled by the clockwise-only 'loop road'.
Recent developments to east Leeds have seen phase 7 of the M621 which involves completion of the Inner Ring Road scheme originally started in 1971, and construction of a bridge running from the A64 near South Accommodation Road, straight to the M621. This new road link will help in taking a percentage of traffic away from the city centre and roads exiting to south Leeds and the motorways.
Another project which will begin construction in late 2008 is the long awaited link to (and the opening of) Junction 45 on the M1. Slip roads, markings and roundabouts were all included during the construction of the motorway, in anticipation of a possible link road, but for many years, the un-signposted slip-roads have remained blocked off. Now, a dual carriageway (the East Leeds Link Road) is being constructed from Junction 45 directly to Leeds via Cross Green and Hunslet. This is part of Leeds City Council's aim to re-develop and encourage investment into the east Leeds area, which has huge areas of unused and derelict land.
Leeds City Council is supporting the "carsharing club" WhizzGo, a car-hire organisation which requires a £50 per annum membership fee, in a battle to reduce congestion and carbon emissions in the city centre and surroundings. The scheme offers local residents and businesses to save money by not having to own cars yet having access to a fleet of low-emission vehicles whenever they need. As a result, car club members tend to drive less and swap car journeys for walking, cycling or public transport. Over 30 cars are sited across the city and available to members for hire by the hour (approximately £6 per hour in August 2008). Access to cars is by using a smart card and PIN.
[edit] National and regional
- Rail
Leeds City Station is one of the busiest in England outside London, with over 900 trains and 50,000 passengers passing through every day.[39] It provides connections to London and the south, Birmingham and the Midlands, Manchester and the north west, the East Coast, Bristol and the West Country, Newcastle and Scotland as well as to local and regional destinations. The station itself has 17 platforms, making it the largest in England outside London.[40]
Two railway lines offer direct services to London. The principal route is along the East Coast Main Line, with trains departing for London King's Cross half hourly for most of the day. East Midlands Trains offers an infrequent and much slower alternative route via Sheffield, Derby and Leicester along the Midland Main Line to London St Pancras International with connections to the Eurostar international services. The East Midlands services are restricted to three or four early morning services from Leeds and three or four evening services from London.
- Buses
Leeds has a large, modern bus and coach station at Dyer Street. One area is for National Express coach services; the rest is used by bus services to many towns and cities in Yorkshire, plus a small number of local services. Buses out of the city are mainly provided by FirstBus and Arriva Yorkshire. Harrogate & District provides a service to Harrogate and Ripon. Keighley & District provides a service to Shipley, Bingley and Keighley. The Yorkshire Coastliner service runs from Leeds to Bridlington, Filey, Pickering, Scarborough, Thornton-le-Dale, and Whitby via Tadcaster, York and Malton. Stagecoach provides a service to Hull via Goole.
- Road Network
Leeds is the focus of the A58, A61, A62, A63, A64, A65 and A660 roads, and was promoted as Motorway City of the Seventies by Leeds City Council. Nowadays, with the M1 and M62 intersecting just to its south and the A1(M) passing just to its east, it is one of the principal hubs of the northern motorway network.
- Air
Leeds Bradford International Airport is located in Yeadon, about 10 miles (16 km) to the north-west of the city, and has both charter and scheduled flights to destinations within Europe plus Egypt, Pakistan, Turkey and (for a trial run, in December 2008) to the USA. There are connections to the rest of the world via London Heathrow Airport, Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. In 2007 Bridgepoint Capital acquired the airport from the consortium of local councils which had previously owned it, for £145.5 million.[41] The new owners have said they are to implement a £70 million capital expenditure plan, to focus on improving passenger and retail infrastructure. They also aim to more than double passenger numbers to 7 million per annum and to add up to 20 new scheduled destinations, both by 2015.[42] Bridgepoint Capital have released plans of their intended expansion of the airport terminal, which is estimated to cost £28 million.[43]
There is a direct rail service from Leeds to Manchester Airport, with trains running hourly during the day and every 2–3 hours through the night. The journey time is just under 1½ hours. Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield is 40 miles (64 km) south-east of Leeds.
- Sea
Leeds has connections by road, rail and coach to Hull, only an hour away, from where it is possible to travel to Rotterdam and Zeebrugge by ferry services run by P&O Ferries.
[edit] Education
[edit] Schools
Leeds has a large number education establishments, with Education Leeds having responsibility for statutory education for young people in the city.The city's state schools trace their history to the Elementary Education Act 1870 and the formation of the Leeds School Board in 1871. Under the Government's targets for better schools for children, many schools are being rebuilt or undergoing refurbishment. There is a partial list of state and independent schools, colleges and universities in Leeds. However, because like most UK cities, Leeds has a falling birth rate, the council have come under pressure in recent years to reduce the number of schools, merging Matthew Murray School and Merlyn Rees School as well as closing Braim Wood School. Primary schools have also been hit. In 2006, Headingley Primary School was closed and a religious primary school 'secularised' to take over from Headingley.OFSTED reports are available for all schools and further education colleges in Leeds.[44] The city's oldest and largest private school is The Grammar School at Leeds, which was legally created in 2005 following the merger of Leeds Grammar School and Leeds Girls' High School. Both schools had long histories, dating back to 1552 and 1857 respectively. There are several other private schools.
[edit] Colleges
The city is home to several further education colleges, such as Park Lane College Leeds (the largest further education college in Leeds with over 38,500 students), Leeds College of Technology, Leeds College of Building, Joseph Priestley College and Leeds Thomas Danby. Notre Dame Catholic Sixth Form College is a very large college for A-level students close to the city centre.
During 2009 Park Lane College Leeds, Leeds Thomas Danby and Leeds College of Technology will merge to form a new College. The name chosen for this College is Leeds City College. The official date for the formation of the new College (and the dissolution of the 3 existing Colleges) is 1 April 2009.
This will mark the first stage of the merger process; the actual re-organisation in terms of merging departments, re-organising the courses, and construction of new buildings and facilities (and any closures of existing buildings) etc. is not expected to be completed for several years to come.
The primary funding body for Further Education in England, The Learning and Skills Council, has allocated a capital grant to help fund the merger. Although no actual figure has yet been published, its total value is expected to exceed £60 million.
[edit] Universities
Leeds has two universities, the University of Leeds, with around 31,500 full-time students (and a further 52,000 on short courses), and Leeds Metropolitan University with around 26,000 (according to UCAS; the LMU website claims 37,000). It also has several higher education colleges: Leeds College of Art and Design (formerly Jacob Kramer College), Leeds Trinity & All Saints, Leeds College of Music (the largest music college in the UK), Northern School of Contemporary Dance and Park Lane College Leeds, which offers both further and higher education. This gives Leeds one of the largest student populations in the country. The city was voted the Best UK University Destination by a survey in The Independent newspaper.[45] Leeds Trinity & All Saints is applying to become an independent University, under the name 'Leeds Trinity'.
[edit] Sports
- See also: Football in Leeds
The city has a long sporting heritage, with teams representing all the major national sports. Yorkshire County Cricket Club, Leeds Rhinos Rugby League Football Club and Leeds Carnegie Rugby Union Football Club all play at Headingley, where there are adjacent cricket and rugby stadia; the Hunslet Hawks RLFC are based at the John Charles Centre for Sport. Leeds United A.F.C., the city's main football team, play at Elland Road in Beeston Also, one of Leeds' most historic and influential rugby league teams, the Bramley RLFC, play in Leeds at the Arthur Miller Stadium (Stanningley SARLC).
Leeds has only one league football team. Leeds United was formed in 1919 in Salem Chapel, just south of Leeds bridge, following the bankruptcy of its predecessor, Leeds City. Under the management of Don Revie, the club was a major force in English football during the late 1960s and early 1970s, winning the league championship three times, the FA Cup once, the League Cup once and the Fairs Cup twice. After Revie's departure for the England job in 1974, Leeds went into decline and did not win another major trophy until 1992, when Howard Wilkinson guided the team to glory in the last-ever First Division championship before the creation of the Premier League. They remained at this level for 12 years before a financial crisis contributed towards their relegation in 2004. Three years later they were relegated again, into the third tier of the English league for the first time in their history. The city is also home to non-league side Leeds Carnegie.
Leeds Rhinos are currently the most successful rugby league team in Leeds. They play their home games at the Headingley Carnegie Stadium and compete in the Super League. They make up the top three sides in the league, based on the number of Challenge Cups won, together with the Bradford Bulls and St Helens. In 2007 they finished 2nd in the league but they beat St Helens in the Super League Grand Final, making them Super League champions. They went on to beat the Australian NRL champions Melbourne Storm 11–4 at Elland Road on 29 February in the 2008 World Club Challenge.[46]
Rhinos are the best supported rugby team of either code throughout the UK,[47] having won a number of domestic and international trophies, including 5 Championships, 11 Challenge Cups and 2 World Club Challenge titles.
Another rugby league team from the city are the Hunslet Hawks, who are based in Hunslet, south Leeds. They play in the National League Two and their home is the John Charles Centre for Sport, formerly known as the South Leeds Stadium. Their nickname is The Parksiders, after their former home ground, Parkside. They have won the League Championship and the Challenge Cup twice each, though these honours were all achieved before the Second World War.
Bramley Buffaloes, from Bramley, west Leeds, currently play in the Rugby League Conference. They are known as The Villagers and the club play their home games at Stanningley ARLFC. Leeds Akkies are also in the Conference and are based in Bramhope, north Leeds. The club was founded in 2003 by students from the three universities of Leeds, to provide a pathway from student rugby league to open age amateur rugby league.
Leeds Carnegie, formerly known as Leeds Tykes, are the main rugby union football club in Leeds. They are owned by the same company that run the Leeds Rhinos rugby league team and, consequently, they also play at the Headingley Carnegie Stadium. Their name was changed on 14 May 2007, when it was announced that Leeds Metropolitan University would buy a 51% stake in the club and change the name to fit with the university's sport department, Carnegie College.[48] They currently play in National Division One, the second level of domestic rugby union in England, having been relegated from the Guinness Premiership in the 2007–08 season. The club won their first trophy in 2005, with a battling performance to defeat favourites Bath in the Powergen Cup final.
Otley R.U.F.C., who play at Cross Green, are another rugby union club from the area. They are based in Otley and compete in National Division Two, having been relegated from National Division One in the 2006–07 season. Morley R.F.C., located in Morley, south-west Leeds, currently play in the National Division Three North. Their nickname is The Maroons, after the colour of their kit.
Leeds City AC is amongst the biggest and most successful athletics clubs in the north of England and competes in the British Athletics League and UK Women's League as well as the Northern Athletics League. The club has had the most successful men's harriers section in the country in the 21st century. Since the turn of the millennium the team has never been out of the top four in the National Cross Country Championships, winning in 2003, 2006, 2007 and 2008. In 2006, 2007 and 2008 the team achieved the 'Grand Slam' of wins — Yorkshire, North of England and English National Champions. They were also National 12-stage road relay champions in 2007 and 2008 and have gained numerous medals in the National 6-stage and cross country relays.
Many athletic clubs serve the youth of the city and enter teams in the country's major running events — especially raising funds for local charities in the London Marathon and the British 10K. Leeds hosts many athletics events itself, most notably the Help the Aged Abbey Dash 10K, the Jane Tomlinson 10K and the Leeds Half Marathon.
Leeds Carnegie L.F.C. are the best-placed women's football team in Leeds. They currently compete at the highest level in England, the FA Women's Premier League National Division, for the 2007–08 season, having finished 5th in the league last season.[dated info] The club currently play their home matches at The Park, home of Tadcaster Albion A.F.C., in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire.
Another women's team based in Leeds is Leeds City Vixens L.F.C.. They currently play in the Northern Combination Women's Football League, whic