By the 15th Century the original vill of old Leeds and the Leeds established by Paynel’s charter of 1207 had coalesced. A bridge was recorded over the river Aire by 1322 though one probably existed long before that. Legend has it that a ferry previously operated there. Before that crossing over the river was by a ford. Remains of a Roman ford were discovered in 1819. Note the manorial park still echoed in such names as Park Row, Park Square, Park Place and Park Lane.
Over more than a century, the Society has built up a number of special collections, notably its archive, map and image collections, which have recently been re-catalogued to make them more accessible. These collections are housed in the Society’s library, based at the Leeds Library, 18 Commercial Street, Leeds LS1 6AL.