Leeds City Centre walking tour

Visit six city centre churches in Leeds, following the directions below. An easy city centre walk, with plenty of shops, cafes and restaurants on the route.

WAKING FROM LEEDS STATION TO LEEDS MINSTER (10 mins)

If arriving at the Bus station, Leeds Minster is opposite you

  1. Exit through ticket barriers
  2. Leave station by exit straight ahead
  3. Turn right – you will see a clock tower ahead
  4. Follow the path round to the left to a road junction (Boar Lane)
  5. Turn right
  6. Pass Holy Trinity Church with the new Trinity Shopping Centre behind it on your left
  7. Continue to a large circular building ahead (Corn Exchange)
  8. Cross to the Corn Exchange and bear left with the Corn Exchange on your right
  9. Bear right onto Call Lane with bus shelters on the opposite side of then road
  10. Follow along Call Lane to traffic lights
  11. Turn right into Kirkgate, you will now see the Minster ahead
  12. Pass under the railway bridge and continue along Kirkgate to Leeds Minster.

LEEDS MINSTER (formerly LEEDS PARISH CHURCH)

This famous early Victorian Gothic parish church by R D Chantrell was created by Walter Hook, who had arrived as Vicar of Leeds in the year that Victoria became Queen. In a mixture of Decorated and Perpendicular styles, it contains some unusual features, including a large space in front of the High Altar that allows the congregation to ”draw near”. The church has very interesting stained glass and monuments; also a fine pulpit and unique organ case.

LEEDS MINSTER TO HOLY TRINITY, BOAR LANE

  1. Exit Minster and turn left
  2. Ahead of you the road forks. Take the right fork into Kirkgate - SP ‘Markets Multi Story’
  3. Continue along Kirkgate (cross Call Lane - traffic lights)
  4. Continue along Kirkgate (cross Briggate - traffic lights)
  5. (To take the scenic route for fast walkers turn right on Briggate to the Victoria Quarter (large canopy on the left of Briggate) and turn left in the arcade. Then complete the square to pick up the direct route)
  6. Continue the Kirkgate route ahead which becomes Commercial Street which is pedestrianized
  7. Turn left into Trinity Street
  8. Holy Trinity Church is ahead of you
  9. From inside the Trinity Shopping Centre there is a good view of the church through the glass dome
  10. Go down the escalator to the Lower ground floor and take the exit on your left
  11. Holy Trinity Church entrance is in your left

HOLY TRINITY, Boar Lane

A Wren-style church of 1722 by William Etty, the only classical church of the period in Central Leeds, with contemporary fittings. The spire fell down and was rebuilt by Chantrell (see above) in 1839. Glass includes work by William Wailes and Powell Brothers. The church has a fine acoustic.

HOLY TRINITY TO ST JOHN THE EVANGELIST

  1. Exit church and enter Trinity Shopping Centre on you right
  2. Take escalators up 2 floors to see the magnificent views of Holy Trinity through the glad dome
  3. Exit the shopping centre into Trinity Street (where you entered) continue ahead until you reach The Headrow
  4. Cross The Headrow, turn right, take the first turn left and walk up Briggate, about 50 yards St John’s is on your left up a short flight of steps

ST JOHN THE EVANGELIST, New Briggate

A rare Gothic Survival church of 1632-4, paid for by John Harrison, a wealthy cloth merchant and philanthropist. It is double naved but the best feature is its wealth of carved woodwork - pews, twin screens and roof timbers, all by Francis Gunby, a native of Leeds, who also produced equally fine screens at Slaidburn Church and Wakefield Cathedral, a fine pulpit for Bishopthorpe Palace (now in Sussex) and plaster ceilings at Temple Newsam. The church is now under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.

ST JOHN THE EVANGLIST TO ST GEORGE’S CRYPT

  1. Exit church and turn right, then immediate right pass west end of church and enter small public gardens
  2. Exit gardens through gate on left ahead of you
  3. Turn left into Merrion street
  4. Go across crossroads ahead of you on crossings with pedestrian lights
  5. Go down the hill and cross next set of lights
  6. Pass RC Cathedral on left and cross third set of lights to Town Hall
  7. Cross the road and continue straight on
  8. Cross another road to Leeds General Infirmary (you will see St George’s ahead of you
  9. The crypt entrance is at the near end

ST GEORGE’S, Great George Street

Early Victorian Gothic of 1936-8(by John Clark). Crypt Chapel, recently restored, with paintings by Steve Simpson of Wakefield on the theme of the Last Supper.

ST GEORGE’S TO ST ANNE’S ROMAN CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL

  1. Retrace route back to St Anne’s which you passed on the way down
  2. When you have passed the Town Hall cross twice (ie to diagonally opposite corner)
  3. Turn right into Cookridge Street and enter the cathedral which is on your left

LEEDS CATHEDRAL (St Anne’s)

Leeds’s Roman Catholic Cathedral of 1838 was compulsorily purchased by Leeds Council in 1901 because it was in the way of necessary road widening for the tramway. The City paid for its replacement, which was designed by J H Eastwood. This fine example from the Arts & Craft movement has been thrice re-ordered; in 1954, in the early 1960s and most recently in 2005/6. The interior fittings include a Reredos by A W N Pugin, from the original church. The most recent addition is a brand new pipe organ by Klais, replacing the previous electronic instrument.

ST ANNE’S TO MILL HILL CHAPEL

  1. Exit Cathedral and turn left
  2. Cross Headrow
  3. Continue ahead
  4. Mill Hill Chapel is on the left at the bottom just before the station

MILL HILL UNITARIAN CHAPEL, Park Row

This little chapel was designed by Bowman & Crowther in 1847/8. It replaced a seventeenth century chapel where, in the following century, Joseph Priestley was Minister. Although small, the chapel contains stained glass by, among others, Powell and Morris; also, a reredos with mosaics by Salviati (c1884).

MILL HILL CHAPEL TO THE RAILWAY OR BUS STATION

  1. Exit Chapel turn left, the railway station is ahead of you
  2. To go to the bus station turn left before the crossing to the train station and go past Holy Trinity Church on your left
  3. Cross the road to the Corn Exchange and bear left with the Corn Exchange on your right
  4. Bear right onto Call Lane with bus shelters on the opposite side of then road
  5. Follow along Call Lane to traffic lights
  6. Turn right into Kirkgate, the bus station will be ahead of you.