The prospects of the two most remarkable towns in the north of England for the clothing trade, viz. Leeds, As it appears from Holbeck Road, and Wakefield, As it appears from London Road.

This plate was published in Ducatus Leodiensis, or the Topography of the Town and Parish of Leedesby the Yorkshire antiquary Ralph Thoresby.
Thoresby continued his father’s business as a wool merchant while pursuing his own antiquarian interests until 1704, when he abandoned the cloth trade to focus on his studies of local history.
The print was produced by Thoresby’s relation William Lodge, a member of a club of Yorkshire ‘virtuosi’ that met regularly to discuss artistic and scientific topics. Another ‘virtuoso’ was Lodge’s and Thoresby’s close friend, Francis Place, who signs the panoramic view of Leeds at the beginning of the volume.

In This view of Leeds, Lodge depicts the cloth fair on the bridge over the river Aire, with smoke rising from the chimneys of the nearby inns identified by the key at top left as ‘Brigg End Shotts’ (the name of the refreshment given by the inn-keepers to the clothiers).
Other places of interest arranged around a map of the region are the textile mills of Wakefield, and the ruins of Kirkstall Abbey, and Fountains Abbey.

The titles and inscriptions are: The Prospects of the two most remarkable Towns in the North of England for the Clothing Trade viz LEEDS As it appears from Holbeck Road. The ruins of Kirkstall Abbey The Ruines of Fountains Abbey A Mapp of ye 2 Wapontacks of SKIRAC and AGBRIDGE and MORLEY within the WEST RIDING of YORKSHIRE famous for the MANUFACTVRE of CLOTH WAKEFIELD as it appears from London Road E Lodge fe: Solde at the Eagle & Childe in the Strand by P Tempest.