Hanover Square

Hanover Square is a Georgian square with a central public garden in Leeds, West Yorkshire. It lies in the former Little Woodhouse area, close to the Leeds General Infirmary, the University of Leeds and Burley Road, so it is easy to reach on foot from the city centre and the campus district.

What is Hanover Square?

It is a quiet residential square of early nineteenth-century houses arranged around a green garden. Unlike the busy shopping streets of central Leeds, it offers a calm corner where you can see how the city looked when wealthy merchants moved out of the crowded centre. The garden is open to the public, and the square suits a short architectural stroll.

How did the square come about?

The land belonged to the Denison Hall estate. Denison Hall was built in 1786 for John Wilkinson Denison, who bought part of the land for the purpose. The merchant George Rawson later acquired the property and sold the grounds for housing development. According to Historic England listings, James Pritchett designed the layout of the square for Rawson around 1823. The central garden was designed and advertised by Joshua Major in 1828, as part of the plan to attract buyers for the new plots.

What can you see there?

The main attraction is the architecture. Several houses around the square are Grade II listed, including Nos. 37 and 38, a pair built of red brick with stone details, a slate roof and a portico with Tuscan columns. Nos. 39 and 40 are also listed. Denison Hall, the mansion that gave the area its origin, stands on the square and is listed Grade II*, a higher category reserved for particularly important buildings.

The garden itself was gifted to Leeds Corporation in 1955 for public use. Railings that were removed during the Second World War were restored in 1995, which gives the garden its traditional enclosed look.

Is there more to the history?

A Methodist church and Sunday School once stood on the square. In 1955 the congregation joined with Oxford Place Chapel. The wider Little Woodhouse district is also linked with a number of campaigning women who made their voices heard in the city, which adds a social-history angle to a visit.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Hanover Square located? In Leeds, West Yorkshire, near the Leeds General Infirmary, the University of Leeds and Burley Road.

Is it the same as Hanover Square in London? No. There are several places with this name, including one in Westminster, London, and others in New York. This one is in Leeds.

Can you enter the garden? Yes. The central garden was given to the city for public use in 1955.

Which buildings are listed? Several houses, among them Nos. 37 and 38, are Grade II listed, and Denison Hall is Grade II*.

Who designed the square? James Pritchett is credited with the layout around 1823, and Joshua Major designed and advertised the central garden in 1828.

Is it worth a visit? If you enjoy Georgian architecture and quiet green spaces, it makes a pleasant short stop when you are in the university area of Leeds.