A to Z of Leeds: What lies beneath your city

There are many reasons for this bold claim, from the people who've called this place home, to the history of the region, the developments underway and the talent and creativity we see on a daily basis. Here, we go through the alphabet to give you some reasons to be proud.

U IS FOR UNDERGROUND

Yes, Leeds has one and it’s still possible to walk around in it, albeit with special permission from Network Rail and possibly the management of the Queens Hotel.

This photo dating back to September 2011, shows Michael Cox, deputy maintenance manager, in a room under the Queens Hotel in the city centre.

Michael was kind enough to take your YEP a tour of the gaping rooms which exist under the hotel and which connect to other spaces beneath our city. For example, it is possible to go from the underground vaults at the hotel and exit out onto the banks of the River Aire.

Other passageways link up with other seldom seen voids beneath the railway station, some of which are truly enormous. From them, various tunnels run off into the distance. One such, whose floor is filled with rubble, disappears into the darkness and runs off under City Square.

Yet other passageways connect to the labyrinthine tunnels which make up the Dark Arches. Walking through them is to experience an area almost frozen in time.

There are old telephones on the walls, old filing cabinets, chairs, tables and lamps strewn here and there, all cloaked in an eerie silence.

MORE A TO Z OF LEEDS:

A: How Arthur Aaron became a war hero .

B: Ivy Benson - Leeds's own pioneer of 'girl power' .

C: The curious custom of Leeds Town Hall clock .

D: The city landmark made of 18 million bricks .

E: Briggate's Empire Theatre .

F: The Farnley Wood Plot .

G: The suffragette who valiantly fought for women’s right to vote .

H: The vicar who helped rebuild Leeds Parish Church .

I: The Leeds hotel known as 'The Imp' .

J: The city's J.R.R. Tolkein connection .

K: The city street boasting 1,000 years of history .

L: The 'miserable looking' mangy city centre landmarks .

M: The city centre department store that fell out of fashion .

N: The pub visited by highwayman Dick Turpin .

O: The city's own 'Factory King' .

P: The city's own king of clocks .

Q: From tram shed to top of the pops .

R: The city museum famed for fighting talk .

S: The doomed solution to the city's traffic woes .

T: The brewery and brand built on tradition, quality and pride .

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A message from the Editor:

Leeds has a fantastic story to tell - and the Yorkshire Evening Post has been rooted firmly at the heart of telling the stories of our city since 1890. We believe in ourselves and hope you believe in us too. We need your support to help ensure we can continue to be at the heart of life in Leeds.

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Thank you

Laura Collins