The Leeds Owl Trail: Look Up, There’s a City Above the Shops

4 days ago

4 min read

Golden owl statue with stylised feathers and prominent eyes, perched on a stone pedestal outside Leeds Civic Hall. — The Golden Owl Outside KLeeds Civic Hall

Shops are shops, aren’t they?

M&S, the familiar fashion brands, another window promising something I probably don’t need. Sometimes I think you could be in almost any city centre in Britain and struggle to tell the difference.

Now, before anyone suggests taking away my bank card, I do love a bit of retail therapy. I can spend several happy hours spending my son’s inheritance on my grandson. Tiny clothes, books, another little something he absolutely must have. It’s practically a grandmother’s duty.

But there is more to Leeds than what’s in the shopping bags.

You just have to look up.

Following the crowd

In the pedestrian streets, people flow between the shops like ants following a well-established trail. Into one doorway, out of another, across to the next tempting window.

Plenty have their heads down, eyes fixed on their phones, somehow navigating the crowds while reading a message. I find avoiding people quite enough of a challenge without adding a screen into the equation.

Then there are the bags. We emerge from the shops as walking advertisements for wherever we’ve just spent our money. We’ve paid for the privilege, and now we’re doing the marketing.

Two carved owls flank a decorative shield on the ornate red terracotta façade of the Metropole Hotel in Leeds. — Owls at the Metrople Hotel

Meanwhile, above our heads, there is a whole other Leeds.

Carved stonework. Decorative windows. Grand old façades that deserve rather more attention than the sale sign underneath them.

And owls.

Quite a few owls, as it turns out.

Why owls?

So, why does Leeds have such a fondness for owls?

The connection goes back to 1626, when Leeds received its Royal Charter and Sir John Savile became its first alderman. The owls came from his family’s coat of arms and were adopted as part of Leeds’ civic identity. They’ve been keeping an eye on the place ever since.

Which means that while the rest of us are admiring the contents of M&S, these birds represent four centuries of local history.

There’s something rather wonderful about that. You set out for a pair of socks and discover you’ve been shopping beneath a history lesson.

A different sort of shopping trail

The Leeds Owl Trail gives you a reason to slow down and notice the city. Its map marks 25 locations across the centre, with two trails to follow and owls that aren’t always immediately obvious. There’s a little detective work involved.

Which seems a much better reason to stare at a building than trying to work out whether the trousers in the window come in your size.

The official trail takes in places including the Civic Hall, Leeds City Museum, the Central Library and the Town Hall. Suddenly, the familiar city centre becomes somewhere to explore, with a purpose beyond getting through a shopping list.

There is something rather pleasing about searching for an owl. It makes you pause. Your eyes travel across a building, picking out details you would otherwise sail straight past.

You might be looking for a bird, but you end up noticing a doorway, a carving or a row of beautiful windows.

I like that. A small excuse to be curious.

Following the trail

The full Leeds Owl Trail takes in 25 owl locations around the city centre. Allow around two hours to cover the roughly two-mile route, especially if you want to stop and admire the details. The shorter version I followed took around an hour.

It’s good fun and a lovely way to explore the city. So often we miss what’s perched on a rooftop or carved into the side of a building because we’re too busy looking at what’s directly in front of us. Leeds has a rich cultural heritage, and its owls certainly seem to be a source of pride.

For me, this was an accessible city adventure with plenty to enjoy — and the trail itself is free. Although I can’t promise you won’t spend anything if, like me, you get distracted by the shops.

Visit leedsowltrail.com to download a map showing the owl locations. Then take your time, look up and see who’s looking back.

Old Leeds, new Leeds

What catches my attention is the way the old and new sit together.

Modern shopfronts occupy the ground floor while the upper storeys tell a different story. Look above the branding and there are buildings with character, ambition and an impressive amount of decoration.

Someone designed those details. Someone made them. Yet how often do we give them so much as a glance?

I’m as guilty as anyone. Put something lovely in a shop window and my attention can be diverted remarkably quickly, particularly if it would suit a certain small grandson.

But lift your gaze and the street changes.

Glass and steel sit alongside older stonework. Different generations of Leeds share the same view. Some buildings announce themselves grandly; others quietly get on with being beautiful above a perfectly ordinary shop.

It makes me wonder how many times we can visit somewhere without really seeing it.

Taking a moment

From my wheelchair, a busy shopping street can demand quite a lot of concentration. There are people to negotiate, sudden changes of direction and the occasional person who stops dead in front of me.

Usually to check their phone.

Finding a suitable place to pause gives me the chance to enjoy what’s around me, rather than simply concentrating on getting through it.

That is the appeal of the Owl Trail. There is no shopping deadline, no need to emerge with a purchase to justify the visit. You can take your time, follow your curiosity and let the buildings have a little of your attention.

And yes, there is always room for a refreshment stop. Looking up is thirsty work.