Leeds Town Hall
Encyclopedia
Leeds Town Hall was built between 1853 and 1858 on Park Lane (now The Headrow), Leeds
, West Yorkshire
, England
to a design by architect
Cuthbert Brodrick
.
, served as the county seat for Leeds Corporation
and was also used for judicial purposes. This was replaced by a new Court House on Park Row, Leeds.
Leeds went through a period of rapid growth in the first half of the 19th century and by the mid-19th century it became apparent that the court house was no longer large enough for the functions it performed.
In July 1850, Leeds Borough Council sought to build a new town hall and established a committee to assess the opinions of Leeds' inhabitants as to the building of a new municipal hall.
Looking to finance the new hall, the Council proposed to sell shares in the building to the value of £10, this method quickly failed. The council then proposed to introduce a specific rate to be levied on its inhabitants to fund the building of a town hall. The tax was not introduced until after the November 1850 local election
, although most of the inhabitants of the city who would have paid the tax at the time lacked voting rights.
The town hall was finally approved in January 1851, when Alderman Hepper put the motion to the council and it was carried by 24 votes to 12.
As well as being a functional building, Leeds Town Hall was proposed to represent Leeds's emergence as an important industrial centre during the Industrial Revolution
and is a symbol of civic pride and confidence. Leeds Corporation tendered for designs from architects to design a town hall for Leeds. The contract was won by Cuthbert Brodrick
, a previously unknown young Kingston upon Hull
born architect who had trained in Paris
.
It is one of the largest town halls in the United Kingdom
and it is the eighth tallest building in Leeds. The Town Hall was opened by Queen Victoria
, highlighting its status as an important Victorian civic structure. It is a Grade I listed building.
With a height of 225 feet (68.6 m) it was the tallest building in Leeds from its construction in 1858 until 1966, when it lost the title to the Park Plaza Hotel
, which stands 8 metres (26.2 ft) taller at 77 metres (252.6 ft). It has held the title longer than any other building, a record 108 years. The distinctive clock tower, which serves for many as a symbol of Leeds as well as having become visually iconic of local government nationally, was not part of the initial design but was added by Brodrick in 1856 as the civic leaders sought to make an even grander statement.
It still has a role as a council office, although many council departments have been relocated to neighbouring municipal buildings.
industrial workforce.
, one of the largest in Europe, is used for lunchtime organ recitals, many given by City Organist Dr Simon Lindley
.
On 26 May 1868 a bazaar
was held in the Town Hall to help pay off the debts incurred with the building of the Mechanics Institute, these were around £6,000.
Leeds Town hall was for some time, home to a breeding pair of Kestrel
s.
. The Civic Hall was commissioned by Leeds Corporation in a Keynesian
project intended to provide work for the local unemployed. The Civic Hall opened in 1933 as the new seat of Leeds City Council
. Since then the Town Hall has been used for civic events such as concerts rather than council meetings.
bombing. Houses were destroyed in Bramley
, Burley
, Armley
and Beeston
and bombs were dropped on the city centre
, hitting the east side of the Town Hall and causing significant damage to the roof and walls on the Calverley Street side of the building. All the damage was repaired shortly after.
.
In a BBC
film released in the 1960s regarding the changing architecture of Leeds, poet John Betjeman
, well known for his love of Victorian Architecture
, praised Leeds Town Hall. He was less sympathetic towards City House
(then British Railways House).
On 29 November 2008, Leeds Town Hall and the town halls of Halifax
, Paisley
, Burslem
, Hornsey
, Manchester
, Lynton
, Dunfermline
, Fordwich
and Much Wenlock
were selected as the "ten town halls to visit" by the editors of the magazine Architecture Today. They said: The epitome of northern civic bombast, Leeds' municipal palace has a grandeur that helps sustain the city's sense of its own importance. Its architect, Cuthbert Broderick, also contributed the Corn Exchange and City Museum before disappearing into obscurity.
was being refurbished, Leeds Town Hall provided storage for the library's contents and a small lending library
operated from the crypt. In 2003 a concert by American band Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
had to be abandoned half way through the set as the floor started to move and officials feared collapse. Along with the Great Hall of the University of Leeds
, the Town Hall is the setting of the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition
.
The town hall is also used by Leeds City Council
as a register office
. Weddings and civil partnerships can take place in the traditionally decorated Albert Suite or the more modern Brodrick Suite.
The former courtrooms are now the Albert Room, a conference suite with adjacent bar and canteen.
, often standing-in for parliament and other London based government offices.
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to a design by architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Cuthbert Brodrick
Cuthbert Brodrick
Cuthbert Brodrick FRIBA was a British architect, whose most famous building is Leeds Town Hall.- Early life :...
.
Background
Until the early 1813, the Moot Hall, situated at the top of BriggateBriggate
Briggate is one of the pedestrianised principal shopping streets in central Leeds, England. Most of Leeds' department stores are on Briggate, including the Harvey Nichols branch. It is home to a number of major high street retailers as well as banks, restaurants and cafes. Recently there have been...
, served as the county seat for Leeds Corporation
Leeds City Council
Leeds City Council is the local authority for the City of Leeds metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England.-History:The city council was established in 1974, with the first elections being held in advance in 1973...
and was also used for judicial purposes. This was replaced by a new Court House on Park Row, Leeds.
Leeds went through a period of rapid growth in the first half of the 19th century and by the mid-19th century it became apparent that the court house was no longer large enough for the functions it performed.
In July 1850, Leeds Borough Council sought to build a new town hall and established a committee to assess the opinions of Leeds' inhabitants as to the building of a new municipal hall.
Looking to finance the new hall, the Council proposed to sell shares in the building to the value of £10, this method quickly failed. The council then proposed to introduce a specific rate to be levied on its inhabitants to fund the building of a town hall. The tax was not introduced until after the November 1850 local election
Local election
Local elections vary widely across jurisdictions. In electoral systems that roughly follow the Westminster model, a terminology has evolved with roles such as Mayor or Warden to describe the executive of a city, town or region, although the actual means of elections vary...
, although most of the inhabitants of the city who would have paid the tax at the time lacked voting rights.
The town hall was finally approved in January 1851, when Alderman Hepper put the motion to the council and it was carried by 24 votes to 12.
As well as being a functional building, Leeds Town Hall was proposed to represent Leeds's emergence as an important industrial centre during the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
and is a symbol of civic pride and confidence. Leeds Corporation tendered for designs from architects to design a town hall for Leeds. The contract was won by Cuthbert Brodrick
Cuthbert Brodrick
Cuthbert Brodrick FRIBA was a British architect, whose most famous building is Leeds Town Hall.- Early life :...
, a previously unknown young Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
born architect who had trained in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
Records
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and it is the eighth tallest building in Leeds. The Town Hall was opened by Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
, highlighting its status as an important Victorian civic structure. It is a Grade I listed building.
With a height of 225 feet (68.6 m) it was the tallest building in Leeds from its construction in 1858 until 1966, when it lost the title to the Park Plaza Hotel
Park Plaza Hotel Leeds
Park Plaza Hotel Leeds is a tower block in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is situated in central Leeds on Leeds City Square near Leeds railway station. The hotel tower was built in 1966 after construction began in 1965, it was reclad in 2004 to host the four star Park Plaza Hotel...
, which stands 8 metres (26.2 ft) taller at 77 metres (252.6 ft). It has held the title longer than any other building, a record 108 years. The distinctive clock tower, which serves for many as a symbol of Leeds as well as having become visually iconic of local government nationally, was not part of the initial design but was added by Brodrick in 1856 as the civic leaders sought to make an even grander statement.
Intended functions
The town hall was built to serve many functions including -- To house various council offices.
- To act as the new courtroom facility for the city.
- To serve as a police station or 'Central Charge Office'.
- To provide a hall for concerts and civic events.
It still has a role as a council office, although many council departments have been relocated to neighbouring municipal buildings.
Controversy
Leeds Town Hall was subject to much criticism during its construction. The original estimated building costs were vastly exceeded with the corporation willing to pay any excess in order to create a municipal building. This was at a time when there was great poverty in Leeds' working classWorking class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
industrial workforce.
Historic usage
The building's principal performance space, the richly decorated Victoria Hall, is the main venue for orchestral concerts in central Leeds. Its Concert OrganPipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
, one of the largest in Europe, is used for lunchtime organ recitals, many given by City Organist Dr Simon Lindley
Simon Lindley
Simon Lindley is a British organist, choirmaster, conductor and composer. He has been organist at Leeds Town Hall since 1976 and Master of the Music and organist of Leeds Parish Church since 1975. Senior Lecturer in Music at Leeds Polytechnic from 1976 to 1987, Lindley held the post of Senior...
.
On 26 May 1868 a bazaar
Bazaar
A bazaar , Cypriot Greek: pantopoula) is a permanent merchandising area, marketplace, or street of shops where goods and services are exchanged or sold. The term is sometimes also used to refer to the "network of merchants, bankers and craftsmen" who work that area...
was held in the Town Hall to help pay off the debts incurred with the building of the Mechanics Institute, these were around £6,000.
Leeds Town hall was for some time, home to a breeding pair of Kestrel
Kestrel
The name kestrel, is given to several different members of the falcon genus, Falco. Kestrels are most easily distinguished by their typical hunting behaviour which is to hover at a height of around over open country and swoop down on prey, usually small mammals, lizards or large insects...
s.
Replacement
In addition to the Town Hall, Leeds has a Civic HallLeeds Civic Hall
Leeds Civic Hall is a civic building housing Leeds City Council, located in Millennium Square, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The design was the result of a competition held in 1926, which was won by Vincent Harris...
. The Civic Hall was commissioned by Leeds Corporation in a Keynesian
Keynesian economics
Keynesian economics is a school of macroeconomic thought based on the ideas of 20th-century English economist John Maynard Keynes.Keynesian economics argues that private sector decisions sometimes lead to inefficient macroeconomic outcomes and, therefore, advocates active policy responses by the...
project intended to provide work for the local unemployed. The Civic Hall opened in 1933 as the new seat of Leeds City Council
Leeds City Council
Leeds City Council is the local authority for the City of Leeds metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England.-History:The city council was established in 1974, with the first elections being held in advance in 1973...
. Since then the Town Hall has been used for civic events such as concerts rather than council meetings.
Bombing
On 14 and 15 March 1941, Leeds received its worst ever LuftwaffeLuftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
bombing. Houses were destroyed in Bramley
Bramley, Leeds
Bramley is a district in west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is an old industrial area and home to a lot of 19th century architecture alongside 20th century council housing in the east and private suburban housing to the west. It has its own railway station which is on the Caldervale and...
, Burley
Burley, Leeds
Burley is a suburb of north-west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, characterised by the red brick terraced housing, much of which was built in the period 1899 - 1903 and green spaces. Sometimes called 'The Cardigan Triangle , it stretches north from the main Kirkstall Road, towards Hyde Park and...
, Armley
Armley
Armley is a district in the west of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It starts less than a mile from Leeds city centre. Like much of Leeds, Armley grew in the industrial revolution and had several mills, one of which is now the Armley Mills museum...
and Beeston
Beeston, Leeds
Beeston is a suburb Leeds, West Yorkshire, England located about 2 miles south of the city centre. The area is separated from surrounding areas to the north, east and west by the M621 motorway....
and bombs were dropped on the city centre
Leeds City Centre
Leeds city centre is the central business district of Leeds, England. It is within the Leeds Central parliamentary constituency, represented by Hilary Benn as MP since a by-election in 1999...
, hitting the east side of the Town Hall and causing significant damage to the roof and walls on the Calverley Street side of the building. All the damage was repaired shortly after.
Praise
Following its construction, Leeds Town Hall was used as a model for new buildings across Britain and the empireBritish Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
.
In a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
film released in the 1960s regarding the changing architecture of Leeds, poet John Betjeman
John Betjeman
Sir John Betjeman, CBE was an English poet, writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who as a "poet and hack".He was a founding member of the Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture...
, well known for his love of Victorian Architecture
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
, praised Leeds Town Hall. He was less sympathetic towards City House
City House
City House is a building over Leeds railway station that was built as British Railways House in 1962. The buildings were, like many other railway buildings in the UK, designed by architect John Poulson. Poulson also designed the Leeds International Swimming Pool...
(then British Railways House).
On 29 November 2008, Leeds Town Hall and the town halls of Halifax
Halifax Town Hall
Halifax Town Hall is a grade II listed, 19th century town hall in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. It is notable for its design and interiors by Charles Barry and his son, Edward Middleton Barry, and for its sculptures by John Thomas.-History:]...
, Paisley
Paisley
Paisley is the largest town in the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland and serves as the administrative centre for the Renfrewshire council area...
, Burslem
Burslem
The town of Burslem, known as the Mother Town, is one of the six towns that amalgamated to form the current city of Stoke-on-Trent, in the ceremonial county of Staffordshire, in the Midlands of England.-Topography:...
, Hornsey
Hornsey Town Hall
Hornsey Town Hall is a public building in Crouch End area of Hornsey, London. Built in 1935, it was the first major UK building to be constructed in the Modernist style. Designed by architect Reginald Uren 1933-1935, the building shows the influence of Hilversum town hall in the Netherlands and...
, Manchester
Manchester Town Hall
Manchester Town Hall is a Victorian-era, Neo-gothic municipal building in Manchester, England. The building functions as the ceremonial headquarters of Manchester City Council and houses a number of local government departments....
, Lynton
Lynton
Lynton is a small town in Devon, England. It lies on the northern edge of Exmoor and is located at the top of a gorge above Lynmouth, to which it is connected by the Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway...
, Dunfermline
Dunfermline
Dunfermline is a town and former Royal Burgh in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. According to a 2008 estimate, Dunfermline has a population of 46,430, making it the second-biggest settlement in Fife. Part of the town's name comes from the Gaelic word...
, Fordwich
Fordwich
Fordwich is the smallest place in Britain with a town council, having a population of 351 recorded in the 2001 census. It lies in Kent, on the River Stour, northeast of Canterbury....
and Much Wenlock
Much Wenlock
Much Wenlock, earlier known as Wenlock, is a small town in central Shropshire, England. It is situated on the A458 road between Shrewsbury and Bridgnorth. Nearby, to the northeast, is the Ironbridge Gorge, and the new town of Telford...
were selected as the "ten town halls to visit" by the editors of the magazine Architecture Today. They said: The epitome of northern civic bombast, Leeds' municipal palace has a grandeur that helps sustain the city's sense of its own importance. Its architect, Cuthbert Broderick, also contributed the Corn Exchange and City Museum before disappearing into obscurity.
Modern uses
Today the Town Hall is mainly used for music concerts and formal civic functions. In 1999 and 2000, when the adjacent Central LibraryLeeds Central Library
Leeds Central Library is a public library in Leeds, located on the Headrow in the city centre. It houses the city library service's single largest general lending and reference collection, as well as hosting an art gallery in the adjoining building....
was being refurbished, Leeds Town Hall provided storage for the library's contents and a small lending library
Lending library
A lending library is a library from which books are lent out. The earliest reference to or use of the term "lending library" yet located in English correspondence dates from ca. 1586; C'Tess Pembroke Ps. CXII. v, "He is .....
operated from the crypt. In 2003 a concert by American band Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, now based in Los Angeles. BRMC is known for their garage rock, blues, folk revival, neo-psychedelia sound. They are influenced by bands such as: The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Verve, The Rolling Stones, Oasis, T...
had to be abandoned half way through the set as the floor started to move and officials feared collapse. Along with the Great Hall of the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
, the Town Hall is the setting of the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition
Leeds International Pianoforte Competition
The Leeds International Piano Competition informally known as The Leeds takes place every three years in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1961 by Marion, Countess of Harewood and Fanny Waterman, who is today its Chairman and Artistic Director. The competition was first held in 1963...
.
The town hall is also used by Leeds City Council
Leeds City Council
Leeds City Council is the local authority for the City of Leeds metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England.-History:The city council was established in 1974, with the first elections being held in advance in 1973...
as a register office
Register office
A register office is a British term for a civil registry, a government office and depository where births, deaths and marriages are officially recorded and where you can get officially married, without a religious ceremony...
. Weddings and civil partnerships can take place in the traditionally decorated Albert Suite or the more modern Brodrick Suite.
The former courtrooms are now the Albert Room, a conference suite with adjacent bar and canteen.
Popular culture
The town hall was used for filming The New StatesmanThe New Statesman
The New Statesman is an award-winning British sitcom of the late 1980s and early 1990s satirising the Conservative government of the time...
, often standing-in for parliament and other London based government offices.