While there is no real evidence to support the theory, it is widely assumed that Leeds was the heart of a Roman settlement. The earliest record of the city can be found in Anglo-Saxon texts, referred to as Loidis by the Bede of Jarrow. There is also evidence of fighting around this time, indicating the then Welsh speaking city held out against the Saxons for some time before it was taken over.
So what does Loidis actually mean? Nobody is sure, although academics have surmised that it was most likely the name of the tribe in the area (many towns and cities founded their names in this way). It coud mean 'people of the flowing river', which could be a very early reference to the river which runs through Leeds, the River Aire. Over time, as accents changed and language evolved, Loidis became Leedis and so on, until we finally end up with Leeds. Interestingly, some residents of Leeds refer to themselves as 'Leeds Loiners' which could be a reference to its ancient name, but that's just speculation.
How big was Leeds? When it was settled it was a lot larger than it is now, bordering the Viking Kingdom of Jorvik and the Welsh kingdom of Strathclyde (which then included Cumbria, Lancashire and most of south west Scotland!). There are records of a saint visiting the two kingdoms mentioned above, who was received hospitably by both kings. During the saint's passage, the two kings met in Leeds which was a gateway from one kingdom to the other.
By Medieval times Leeds was extremely well established. It became a small village in 1086 and belonged to a Norman baron who lived in Pontefract Castle. It was around this time the Abby inKirstall was founded on the Aire and industries like iron forging and wool spinning began to surface. It is rumoured that during this period Kirstall Abbey owned 5,000 sheep. Like most other cities in Yorkshire, Leeds began to flourish with industrial trade. Grain, wool and cloth were made here extremely early on, and put Leeds on the map as a centre for trade and commerce. By 1560, Leeds saw its first major street and really began to take shape and later that century its first mayor was appointed to oversee its 4,000 residents.
Today Leeds is an extremely diverse centre of commerce, home to many businesses and companies, and its a really worthwhile place to spend the day.
Martin Groves is a Yorkshire resident and architecture aficionado. He also supports many local businesses in the area. If you're looking for windows and doors in the Leeds area check out Coral Windows in Leeds and their windows, doors & conservatory showroom.
Article Source: Martin_Groves
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