A town of the times is this great hive of Leeds General Infirmary A Hunslet Mill and Victoria Works Children – hard times Leeds Grand Theatre and workers, whose labours are for the welfare The first Leeds Infirmary was opened – once mighty mills by the river the City Varieties Music Hall Welcome of mankind, and whose products have the Before 1833 few children went to school in 1771 on what is now Infirmary Street and many worked long hours in the mills C whole wide world for their market... Though B This heritage trail gives an off City Square. The cost of £4,599 was in terrible conditions – as they were Leeds may lack the classic charm of Greece introduction to the story of Leeds, raised by the people of Leeds. The cheaper to employ than men. Some As industry thrived there was an and Italy, or even the time-honoured dignity concentrating on the legacy of current hospital on Great George Street learned to read the Bible at Sunday increasing demand for entertainment for that reposes in our own ancient cathedral Coal transported by the Middleton Railway into Leeds 1829 was designed by Sir George Gilbert School but it was not until the factory the working population. From public houses Victorian times and some of the towns, she can place in the counterbalance grew music halls, a relaxed space for the people, places and spaces that Scott and work began in 1863. legislation of 1833 that children had to her nine hundred factories and workshops, Coal – fuel for a growing town have at least two hours of schooling each enjoyment of a varied programme of weird have made the city what it is monuments of her wealth, industry and and wonderful acts. The City Varieties In 1880 there were over 100 coalmines in day. The 1844 Factory Act required three today. Internationally known for mercantile prestige. Music Hall, now famous around the world, and around Leeds, and Middleton Colliery its varied Victorian architecture, The Century’s Progress: Yorkshire Industry and Commerce 1893 opened in 1865 as ‘Thornton’s New Music was supplying 48,000 tons of coal to the Hall and Fashionable Lounge’ delighting Leeds is the UK’s third largest town’s industry each year. This made Hunslet Mill 1950 the crowds with comedians, contortionists, city. It is surrounded by beautiful Leeds into the powerful industrial and trapeze artists and reptile conquerors. countryside and famous as the manufacturing centre it became during This now derelict building on the bank of the Wealthier Victorians turned to the more gateway to the Yorkshire Dales. the industrial revolution. It led to the River Aire on the way to Thwaite Mills is the cultural experiences at the licensed Renowned for its commerce, development of brick making, pottery former flax reeling works of John Wilkinson. theatres with their rich surroundings and works including the famous Leeds Pottery shopping and digital industries, Its architect was William Fairbairn, the respectable entertainment. with its iconic creamware, chemical leading engineer and designer of mill Leeds is also justly proud of Undated manufacture and heavy engineering. buildings. He had already designed Armley its vibrant culture, music and The design was based on the pavilion plan Mills for Benjamin Gott and the towering arts scenes and its sporting Gott’s Mansion, undated recommended by Florence Nightingale, Saltaire Mills in Shipley near Bradford. achievements. with narrow wards linked by arcades Completed in the 1840s, Hunslet Mill was Flax Heckling at Marshall’s Mill – undated Armley House – Gott’s Mansion allowing good ventilation. It featured the built in red brick, and with its seven storeys Originally a plain house built in 1781 latest innovations, with plenty of baths was the largest flax mill in Leeds when hours schooling and saw the introduction for local merchant Thomas Woolrick, and toilets, hydraulic hoists to reduce the industry was at its height. It employed of the factory half-timer – children who City Varieties Music Hall. Photo: Tony O’Connell Armley House in Gott’s Park three miles the physical work of nurses and a central over 1500 female flax reelers. Later it was spent half their day at school and half west of Leeds, was bought in 1804 by Winter Garden where patients could stroll used for the manufacture of linen and then their day at work. But it wasn’t until the Amidst great excitement, Leeds Grand Benjamin Gott, the owner of Armley Mills amongst exotic plants and trees. The blanket weaving. Next to Hunslet Mill stands 1870 Education Act that publically funded Theatre opened its doors in 1878 with a and Bean Ing. Gott became one of the The railways in Leeds building was visited in May 1868 by The Victoria Works which produced linseed oil Board schools were set up where children performance of William Shakespeare’s largest employers in England and was the The prosperity of Leeds has always been Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII). from flax seeds. It dates from 1836. learned reading, writing and arithmetic. ‘Much Ado About Nothing’. Both these well-loved and nationally renowned first great entrepreneur of the wool and built on its excellent transport facilities. Victoria Quarter venues continue to welcome and entertain cloth trade. Between 1810 and 1822 he In the early 19th century it welcomed the audiences today and pride themselves Trail On the other side of this trail, you will remodelled the house and ensured that like coming of the railways and became one on celebrating their restored Victorian find information that takes you from his mills, it was extensively fire proofed. of the great railway towns of Victorian features and rich histories. 12th century Leeds into the 19th century In addition to exterior changes including times, at one time boasting five stations Heritage when the industrialists, architects, the pillars reminiscent of ancient Greek in the city centre. Leeds also supplied philanthropists and engineers made temples, and the landscaping of the park the world with locomotives and even their mark. On this side, we invite you by Humphrey Repton, Gott also used the today locos built here can be found as far Industrial to explore a selection of other historical property to house his fine art collection. away as Fiji, Chile and Australia. Several themes that tell the story of industrial It included works by Rubens, Titian and surviving locomotives are on display Leeds Leeds. You will also find information to Caravaggio, illustrating the passion for art at Leeds Industrial Museum, including direct you to other sources of interest and that led Gott, this powerful industrialist, Jack (pictured) who used to haul fireclay information including Leeds’ fascinating to preside over the founding of the Leeds at John Knowles (Wooden Box) Ltd in . Illustration from The Graphic museums and its Central Library. Philosophical and Literary Society. Derbyshire. Leeds 1885 Leeds Grand Theatre Thwaite Mills Watermill is a fully restored John Atkinson Grimshaw Rivers and canals Briggate D Boar Lane F Kirkgate Market E Marshall and Murray – 19th working watermill in a riverside setting rich Leeds is very compact and – artist of Leeds – the route to the world H century entrepreneurs G in wildlife. See the power of water as two Award winning Kirkgate Market is one walkable, easily accessible by huge waterwheels drive the mill and visit the of the largest covered markets in Europe In 1699 an Act of Parliament led to the In 1788 John Marshall took over the water bus, train or car. Leeds Bradford blacksmith’s workshop and manager’s house. start of work on the Aire and Calder with a heritage stretching back to the 13th www.leeds.gov.uk/thwaitemills mill in Adel just north of Leeds, where he International Airport is just half Navigation connecting Leeds and the century. By the 17th century, cloth was began to work with the young engineer the most important industry in Leeds and Leeds Industrial Museum at Armley Mills, River Aire with the east coast at Hull. Matthew Murray who helped him develop an hour from the city centre by once the world’s largest woollen mill, presents the cloth market on Briggate had become Weirs - short “cuts” equipped with a a way to use cotton spinning machinery bus. There are numerous car a fascinating insight into the city’s industrial a centre for expanding national and series of locks, and a towpath were for spinning flax into linen yarn. In 1791 parks and ample blue badge car heritage with steam engines, a spinning mule international trade. But with the increase Queen’s Arcade, Briggate and many more fascinating exhibits. created and by 1704 the original work he moved to Holbeck near the canal. parking spaces in the city centre. in prosperity brought by the industrial www.leeds.gov.uk/armleymills was completed, including 12 locks on Find out more about one of the most famous the River Aire near Leeds. Now the revolution, shoppers wanted something Abbey House Museum, once the gate house Leeds companies – Potts Clocks by picking cloth merchants of Leeds had access to more. The first permanent market was Leeds Visitor Centre of Kirkstall Abbey, is a lively, interactive museum. up a copy of the Potts Clocks Heritage Trail. Step back in time and explore the Victorian streets European ports. Going west to Liverpool, erected on Kirkgate in 1857 at a cost of £14,000. It proved to be a huge success Potts were based in Leeds from 1862 Friendly visitor information and ticket for a glimpse of life in 19th century Leeds. the Leeds to Liverpool Canal was built until the company was sold on in the mid office conveniently located at Leeds and several extensions and renovations www.leeds.gov.uk/abbeyhouse in just seven years from 1770 to 1777.