If you have been to Leeds, you will have walked along Briggate.
But did you know how important this street was in the growth of Leeds? I recently wrote a history book on Leeds and I was amazed at what I found out.
If someone had asked me about the history of Leeds, I would have muttered something about wool and mills.
I didn't really have a clear idea about how Leeds became the city it is today.
At school, I learnt about the wars, plagues, Great Fire of London etc.
I'm sure you did too.
But I was never taught about the wonderful history right outside.
During my book research I learnt a lot about Leeds and it made me proud to be living here.
I won't go into lots of detail; I haven't got the space here! Leeds is mentioned in the Domesday Book as a small settlement.
There was a manor house, situated where the Scarborough Hotel now stands.
This was surrounded by fields where farmers worked.
The farmers paid rent to the lord of the manor.
During the early 1200s, the new lord of the manor found himself in debt.
To clear this debt he decided to bring more people into the settlement by building a new street.
A charter was passed and Briggate was built (the road to the bridge).
Houses were built here with long pieces of land behind each one.
The street was built extra wide to allow markets to be held.
People soon came to Leeds and sold their produce.
Not just farm produce but things they had made like shoes, clothes and furniture.
One of the most popular crafts was making woollen cloth.
There was a big supply of sheep nearby and it didn't cost too much for a spinning wheel.
Leeds soon began to attract more people and more houses were needed on Briggate and the surrounding area.
Markets were held regularly and there were lots of street entertainers around.
If you stand on Briggate today, can you imagine this? I have always wondered why this street was so wide.
Every time I have been there are street entertainers and people selling products from hand carts.
Isn't it amazing that this has been going on for hundreds of years? Briggate soon became a busy area and the manufacture of wool increased.
It wasn't long before Leeds grew into a successful town and then a city.
Imagine if the lord of the manor had not decided to build Briggate - would the city of Leeds have ever existed?