LEEDS, a large manufacturing town of England, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, is situated on the north bank of the Aire, on an eminence, which rises gently from the ri ver to the upper end of the town, and slopes to the east, west, and south. The suburbs on the south side of the ri ver are connected with the town by a freestone bridge, which forms an excellent entrance to the town. Leeds is about half a mile broad from north to south, and nearly a mile and a half long from east to west. Briggate, the prin cipal street, is about 500 yards long and 30 broad, and di vides the town nearly into two parts. In the middle of the town, both to the east and west of Briggate, are several good streets, and many large and elegant houses. The western part is, however, the most elegant, and is adorned with very handsome houses. In the old parts of the town the streets are narrow and crooked, and in some places not very clean ; but in general the town is cleanly kept, and every street has a flagged pavement on each side.
The principal public buildings in Leeds, are the five churches, St. Peter's, St. John's. St. James', Trinity Church, and St. Paul's, the dissenting chapels, the gene ral infirmary, the house of recovery, the free grammar school, the mixed cloth hall, the white cloth hall, the gaol and court-house, the king's mills, the water works, the charity school, the Leeds national school, and the circulat ing library. The church of St. Peter is a large and ancient building, 165 feet long and 97 broad. It is built in the form of a cross, with a tower or steeple 96 feet high, and under went a thorough repair in 1811. This church contains many interesting monuments, one of which, designed and executed in marble by Flaxman, is peculiarly elegant, and was erected by the town of Leeds to the memory of Cap tains Samuel Walker and Richard Becket, who fell in 1809 at the battle of Talavera. St. John's church, begun in 1631, and consecrated in 1634, was founded and finished by John Harrison, Esq. It consists of two ailes only, with a single row of columns up the middle ; and the tower is placed al most at one angle of the west end. St. James' church is
built of stone, in the form of an octagon. It was first oc cupied by the Countess of Huntingdon's preachers ; but was afterwards bought for the establishment. Trinity church is a handsome building in the Greek style, with a tower surmounted by a spire. It is ornamented externally with eight Doric pillars on each side ; and the roof is sus tained by a double row of Composite columns. The entire expence of the building was 45631. St. Paul's church is an elegant stone building, which was erected through the exertions of the Rev. Miles Atkinson, at an expellee of 10,0001. It was consecrated in 1793. The architecture is Roman ; and the cod front consists of a pediment, support ed by four Ionic pilasters. The spire is very handsome. The dissenting meeting-houses, which are eight in number, are one Presbyterian, one Unitarian, three of Independents, one of Scotch Presbyterians, one of Baptists, and one of Quakers, besides two Methodist meeting-houses, and a Ro man Catholic chapel.
The general infirmary is a large and handsome brick building of Roman architecture. It was founded in 1768, and was opened in 1771. It is 150 feet long, and 38 wide. The court is 186 feet by 30, and the back court, with the offices and gardens, is 186 feet by 120. An attic story was added to the central part of the building in 1792. Mr. How ard, who visited Leeds in 1788, says, that this hospital is one of the best in the kingdom. The average number of in patients annually during the three years preceding 1816, was 764, and the out-patients 1675. The house of recovery was founded in Vicar Lane in 1802, and opened in 1804, and is appropriated to the reception of poor persons afflicted with infectious fevers.
The free grammar school was erected by John Harri son, Esq. and in 1692 was enlarged by Mr. Lawson. In 1780, an excellent house was erected near the school for the use of the master.