Interesting Facts About Leeds

• 04 Apr, '16
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When you think of Leeds, you probably think of a busy, buzzy city with Northern sounding, friendly inhabitants and plenty to do and see. But, being such a large, multicultural city it must be full of secrets and gems that you may be unaware of. ## Here are some interesting facts of Leeds that you probably didn’t know. * Leeds has a motto which is ‘Pro rege et lege’ and is Latin for ‘For king and the law’. It can be seen on the Leeds coat of arms which was created in the 1660s. * The first moving picture was filmed in Leeds in 1888 by Louis Le Prince. He based the film on a back garden in Leeds. Although, his film is noted in the Guinness world records as the oldest moving film, he vanished a couple years after the film was produced and so never was able to reap the awards of his accomplishment. * Another Guinness world record was set in Leeds. The record for the most people dressed as Sherlock Holmes was made in 2014. 443 people dressed in the standard Sherlock outfit including the deerstalker hat and the pipe and magnifying glass. The event captured the fun and creativeness of the community. * Local celebrity Leigh Francis gained inspiration for the name for his character Avid Merrion from his former lecturer Laimonis Mierins, although most believe the name came from the Merrion shopping centre. * Leeds Castle is not in Leeds! Understandably, this may be confusing for some people, but Leeds Castle is actually in Kent, 250 miles away. But, don’t despair there is always the Kirkstall Abbey to visit. Dating back to 1152, it has plenty for all to see. * Leeds is home to the Temple Works. It was originally a flax mill and its appearance is based on the Temple of Horus in Egypt. When it was first built it was said to contain the biggest single room in the world. A random fact regarding the temple is that sheep used to graze on its grass covered roof. * You would never guess it, but Leeds was once inhabited by a ‘hippopotamus’. In 1851, the remains of a great northern hippo was discovered in Armley, Leeds. Dating back over 100,000 years the bones are in Leeds City Museum for all to see now. * If you are a Harry Potter fan you will be excited to know that Leeds has its very own Quidditch team. Students of Leeds University have developed the game to be played on foot (rather than brooms). Known as the ‘Leeds Griffins’ the students take part in games and tournaments and even have sorting hat ceremonies and Yule Balls. * You wouldn’t expect it, but in terms of a holiday destination Leeds attracts more visitors on an annual basis than traditional holiday destinations like Brighton and Torquay. But as we’ve learnt there is so much to do in Leeds, so it’s easy to see why it’s so popular. Read our post to find out more interesting and fascinating facts about Leeds.