Georgian Leeds

Professor Joyce Hill will lead this guided walk of Georgian Leeds. Although we tend to think of the heart of Leeds as a Victorian city, it was already flourishing in the Georgian period, rapidly establishing itself as the leading centre for the woollen cloth trade. 

The riches that came with this are evident in buildings that still survive, the development of an area of well-to-do houses in Park Square, and — underpinning it all — expanding infrastructure in the form of the ever more prosperous Aire and Calder Navigation and the proud ambition to link Leeds with the Atlantic trade via the Leeds-Liverpool Canal.

The walk will begin at The Leeds Civic Trust building in Wharf Street and will end in Park Square. Because the evidence of our Georgian prosperity extends over a large area, we will be covering quite a lot of ground, with brisk walks between the highlights. The distance covered is moderate but you will need to be prepared for frequent stops at points of interest along the route, please wear comfortable shoes.