Dortmund Square and the Drayman: The story of a rendezvous Leeds landmark

Did you know Dortmund Square was originally known as the Plaza? The paved area at the bottom of Woodhouse Lane between Vallances and Lewis’s in 1980 was given the new title during the year with street signs going up to reflect the change. And an 8ft high bronze statue of a brewery worker, a gift from the city of Dortmund where brewing was a major industry, was its main feature. The statue was placed in the Square to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the civic twinning. The Square has been used as a place for protest, promotion and party down the decades. These rarely-seen photos, a mix from the YEP archive and others published courtesy of photographic archive Leodis, which is run by Leeds Library & Information Service, tell the story of the much-loved landmark. READ MORE: The story of the Leeds city centre character known as 'Woodbine Lizzie' LOVE LEEDS? LOVE NOSTALGIA? Join Leeds Retro on facebook YEP RETRO NEWSLETTER: Sign up for our free monthly email digest of Leeds nostalgia