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City in West Yorkshire, England

Leeds

The oldest surviving film in the world was shot in a Leeds garden in 1888, and its maker vanished two years later without trace.

Key information

County
West Yorkshire
Nation
England
Population
about 812,000 (2021 Census)
Known for
Early cinema, Leeds United, Headingley, Marks & Spencer's first stall, Victorian arcades, Kirkstall Abbey
What locals are called
Loiners
Famous people
Alan Bennett, Mel B, Keith Waterhouse, Barbara Taylor Bradford
Football clubs
Leeds United

About Leeds

The film that began in a Leeds garden, and the man who disappeared

On 14 October 1888, Louis Le Prince pointed a camera at his family in the garden of Oakwood Grange, Roundhay. The result, the Roundhay Garden Scene, runs for barely two seconds. It is the oldest surviving film in existence, and it was made years before the Lumière brothers screened anything in Paris. Le Prince never got to enjoy the credit. In September 1890 he boarded a train in Dijon, France, heading for Paris, and was never seen again. No body and no luggage were ever found. Leeds still celebrates him as the father of cinema, and the city's film culture, including its international film festival, carries on the tradition. Nearby Roundhay Park is now one of Europe's largest city parks.

Why a Leeds market stall matters to every high street

In 1884 Michael Marks, a Polish-Jewish immigrant born in Slonim, then in the Russian Empire and now in Belarus, opened a stall in Leeds Kirkgate Market. His sign read "Don't ask the price, it's a penny." That Penny Bazaar grew into Marks & Spencer after he teamed up with Thomas Spencer, a Leeds cashier. The market still trades in historic buildings, including its grand Edwardian hall, opened in 1904. It is one of the biggest covered markets in Europe. Leeds also made its name stitching. In the 19th century the city became a powerhouse of ready-made clothing, and Montague Burton's tailoring empire turned out suits by the million. Before that came wool. The cloth merchants who traded in Leeds paid for much of the grandeur you see in the centre today.

Arcades, owls and a town hall fit for a queen

Leeds is a city of covered shopping arcades, glass roofs and ornate ironwork. The Victoria Quarter, off Briggate, is the showpiece, with its stained-glass roof and Edwardian detail. The Corn Exchange, an oval of iron and glass designed by Cuthbert Brodrick and opened in 1863, was built for grain dealers and now houses independent shops. Brodrick also designed Leeds Town Hall, finished in 1858 and opened by Queen Victoria. Its clock tower and lions are a city signature. Look up on civic buildings and you'll spot owls. They come from the arms of Sir John Savile, the first alderman of Leeds after the city's charter of 1626, and they have stayed on the civic badge ever since. Other landmarks include Kirkstall Abbey, a ruined Cistercian monastery on the River Aire, and Temple Works, an Egyptian-style flax mill. The Royal Armouries, which opened in 1996, holds the national collection of arms and armour.

Marching on together: Leeds sport

Leeds United play at Elland Road. Under Don Revie in the 1960s and 1970s they became one of English football's great forces, adopting an all-white kit and winning league titles in 1969 and 1974. They won it again in 1992. Their anthem, "Marching On Together", is sung with real feeling. Headingley is a sporting double act. Headingley Cricket Ground hosts Test cricket and is home to Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Right next door, the rugby stadium is home to the Leeds Rhinos, one of the leading names in rugby league's Super League. The two grounds sit side by side as one sporting complex. The Leeds Festival, held every August bank holiday weekend at Bramham Park, has also given the city a place on the music calendar.

Loiners, pudding and pints

Locals are called Loiners. Nobody quite agrees on where the word comes from, but Leeds people wear it proudly. The city is Yorkshire to the core when it comes to food, so a Yorkshire pudding with onion gravy is a proper starter, and Sunday roast is a serious business. The nearby rhubarb triangle supplies forced pink rhubarb each winter. Joshua Tetley founded his brewery here in 1822, and although the Leeds brewery closed in 2011, the Tetley name is a firm part of local pub talk. Today the city is one of the biggest financial and legal centres outside London. It also has a serious cultural side. Opera North is based here, and the Leeds International Piano Competition, founded by Fanny Waterman and Marion Thorpe, held its first contest in 1963 and has launched careers ever since. The canal is part of the story too. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal, completed in 1816, linked the city's mills to the Mersey, and the old warehouses near Leeds Dock now hold flats, galleries and bars.

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