York and Leeds: how are these two Yorkshire urban centres linked and what accounts for the differences in the way they have evolved over the centuries?

Side-by-side comparison of John Cossins’ 1720s town plans. Left: map of York showing streets, the River Ouse and illustrated buildings around the border, labelled 1.3 km. Right: map of Leeds showing streets, the River Aire and illustrated buildings around the border, labelled 0.8 km. Heading reads: “New & Exact Plans of York and of Leeds 1720s by John Cossins”.

Rachael Unsworth

Thu 19 Nov 2026

Heritage

Leeds 400

Talk

Geography is at the root of answering these questions about differential urban development. Rachael Unsworth’s presentation will draw out the main lines of argument and raise some questions about sources and their interpretation.

A Leeds 400 event from the Thoresby Society

The Leeds Library

18 Commercial Street
Leeds
LS1 6AL
United Kingdom

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