Taking A Look At Leeds – West Yorkshire

December 13, 2009 by Frederick Hoymer
Filed under Travel

The city of Leeds – West Yorkshire, England has a population of over 771,000 people. In the English system of classification it is also referred to as a metropolitan borough and it is considered to be the heart of the wider West Yorkshire Urban Area. Currently, this urban area exceeds over 1. 6 million people, with the Leeds city region counting also nearly 3,000,000 people in total.

This particular city is the fastest growing of all metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and is also — outside of London itself — the single largest center of finance in the United Kingdom. The city is ever growing and full of vibrancy and life. It has a history that goes back to at least the fifth century when it was known as the kingdom of Elmet and covered by forest.

The historical origins for the name Leeds comes from the word “Loidis, ” which means forest. In the 1600s and 1700s, Leeds became a prominent center of trade for the wool industry and it also figured prominently in the Industrial Revolution. Leeds became a center for iron foundries, engineering and printing to name just a few of the activities taking place in and around the city.

Starting at some point in the 1500s Leeds began its growth, gradually absorbing more and more small villages and other communities as it expanded outward. By the mid-1900s, the city had pretty much taken on its present population characteristics. Additionally, there are a number of landmarks both in and around the city and several universities call the town home.

In the Middle Ages, the city began its rise to prominence, establishing itself as a market town of some note. By 1770, Leeds had come to dominate a large part of the wool trade, being responsible for over 1/6th of all wool exports from the United Kingdom. Two different canals and a railway — all three of which had opened by 1834 — also contributed to the growth of the metropolitan area.

Nowadays, the Leeds city council has stuck to an intelligent urban planning concept that has seen the city become what it calls a “24-hour European city” and a major financial, commercial and cultural nexus for the north of England. It fits in well in the super modern global economy and an expanding retail presence has meant the availability of a large number of luxury goods for all.

West Yorkshire, the ceremonial and metropolitan county in which Leeds resides, has a population of around 2. 2 million people, though the wider Leeds city region — which includes areas in other counties — exceeds that population figure. It is a landlocked county, meaning it has no border that it shares with any of the waters that surround Great Britain.

Find your next Leeds hotel here.

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