Leeds City Square
City Square is a paved open area in Leeds city centre in West Yorkshire, England.
In 1897, the Leeds city council of the time wanted to improve the open space near to the (Old) Post Office and in 1899 work was completed. The city square was enhanced with the erection of statues, the grandest being the Black Prince on horseback in bronze by Thomas Brock. There are other statues of other worthy local people (Joseph Priestley, John Harrison, James Watt and Dr Walter Hook) and statues of eight nymphs, light standards by sculptor Alfred Drury.
The White Rose Way walking trail starts at the foot of the Black Prince Statue.
To the south are the railway station, the Queens Hotel and the streets of Bishopgate Street and New Station Street. To the west are the former Majestyks and Jumpin Jacks nightclubs which are due to be converted into a casino, the Old Post Office (which closed in 2004 and has been converted into restaurants and serviced apartments that opened in 2006) and the streets of Aire Street, Wellington Street, Quebec Street and Infirmary Street (a bus terminal).
In the south-west corner, between Aire Street and Wellington Street, is a current empty plot of land that is due to be the location for the 14-storey City Square House office block. To the east is Mill Hill Chapel, the 19 storey Park Plaza hotel on Boar Lane and the former Yorkshire Banking Company building which latterly became a Midland Bank is now a nightclub/bar which is currently called The Black Prince (formerly The Observatory and later Flares). Park Row leads north towards The Headrow from the square with the office blocks of One City Square and One Park Row.
Between the 1960s and 1995, the north of City Square was home to the Norwich Union building and another office block with an adjoining skyway. This was intended to go across the whole city centre but was never completed. After being voted the ugliest in the United Kingdom, the buildings to the north of city square were demolished and rebuilt.
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 the early 2000s, which included closing off one side of the square to traffic, rearranging the statues and adding traditional fixtures, fountains to the square.
Bombing
During an air raid on Leeds, the Luftwaffe bombed City Square. City Square was at the time the site of a public air raid shelter, which did not withstand the bombing and was significantly damaged.[1]
See also
Gallery
Images of Leeds City Square
Norwich Union Offices
Queens Hotel
Park Plaza Hotel
Statue of John Harrison (Leeds)
Statue of James Watt
Statue of Joseph Priestley
Old Post Office and Black Prince Statue
See also
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Leeds City Square. |
References
Coordinates: 53°47′47″N 1°32′51″W / 53.7964°N 1.5476°W