User:LukeC\Sandbox\Leeds Town Hall
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Leeds Town Hall was built in 1858, on a site in Park Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was built not only as a statement of civic pride but as a reminder of the importance of Leeds as a centre of trade and commerce to citizens of the city and visitors alike. The building has become famous as an example of a kind of Victorian architecture that reflects the wealth, power and confidence of the age in which it was created. The building remains a building commonly used by the city council in promotional media as a visual metaphor for local government.
The building attracted a not just about the style of the building but also about the building works themselves. By its completion it had vastly exceeded its original budget. The building was opened by Queen Victoria who agreed to perform the opening ceremony, an event which remains one of the most significant in the cities history.
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[edit] Building of the Town Hall
[edit] Early Planning
A site was chosen in Park Lane, between Calverley Street and Oxford Place. The land belonged to John Blayds, and Park House, which was occupied by Dr. Richard Hobson, stood on the site. The committee recommended that a sum of £45,000 paid to purchase the site and for the building of the hall. This was accepted in September 1851, and the site was purchased for £9,500. In reality, the cost of the new hall would eventually far exceeded this original estimate.
There was a large difference of opinion among the members of the council. Some believed that the Town Hall should be a purely utilitarian structure whereas others argued it should be a imposing and stylish building, which represents the civic pride and aspirations of the people of Leeds. There were still some influential people who disagreed with the building of the Town Hall, like Councillor Titley, who in February 1852, proposed to the council that it was 'unwise and inexpedient to proceed with the hall.' Others felt that the proposed hall would simply not be big enough; Alderman Hepper, wanted to increase the amount of judicial accommodation provided in the hall, at an added cost of £15,000. Though this was opposed at first ultimately the council voted in agreement with him.
Outside the council there were influential figures in Leeds society who were in favour of building a municipal palac’, rather than a purely functional town hall as was proposed. One such person was Dr. John Deakin Heaton, Secretary of the Leeds Improvement Society. Dr. Heaton thought that 'if a noble municipal palace that might fairly vie with some of the best Town Halls of the continent were to be erected in the middle of their hitherto squalid and unbeautiful town, it would become a practical admonition to the populace of the value of beauty and art, and in due course of time men would learn to live up to it'.
In the end those who argued in favour of a municipal palace won the argument.
In June 1852 the council advertised a competition to create plans for the new town hall, which required a public hall, a council room, and corporate offices, and courts of justice with prizes going to the winners of the competition. The first prize was to be £200, the second prize £100, and the third prize £50, which were all considerably large sums of money at that time.
The first prize was awarded to Cuthbert Brodrick, a young architect from Hull. He had previously worked with Lockwood and Mawson who were awarded second prize, and who had designed St. George's Hall in Bradford. The third prize went to Young and Lovatt of Wolverhampton. Brodrick was only 29, and the council were worried about entrusting a building of such magnitude to a young and inexperienced architect, but Sir Charles Barry, advisor to the project, persuaded them that he was competent to undertake the work. Barry suggested some alterations to Brodrick's original plan, and several of these changes were made. One of Barry's suggestions was the addition of a tower over the main entrance. Also, extra rooms were added on each side of the central hall. The main entrance was to have led into a hall from which a double staircase led to the upper storey. However, the addition of the tower meant that this staircase was never built.
The Town Council granted a sum of £39,000 for the building work, much higher than the original estimate. Brodrick was told that if he exceeded this estimate he would receive no payment. Brodrick agreed, provided that building costs did not increase because of factors beyond his control. A sub-committee was appointed to oversee the building work, and to recommend extra work up to a sum of £500. As it turned out, the extra work involved cost far more than this meaning the council had to find large amounts of money to pay for the increased costs.
[edit] The Contractor and the Clerk of Works
In 1853 builder and bricklayer Samuel Atack was chosen out of 50 estimates for the erection of the town hall. He agreed to construct the hall for £41,825, and to finish it by 1856. Increases in the cost of labour and building materials leading to this increase in costs. James Donaldson was the Clerk of Works, and his notebooks give us a detailed account of the building work. The notebooks now remain in the care of West Yorkshire Archives.
[edit] Laying the Foundation Stone
On 17th August 1853, the foundation stone was laid by John Hope Shaw, the mayor of Leeds, in front of a vast crowd, and amid great ceremony and celebration. The members of the Town Council, Magistrates, the Vicar of Leeds, the architect, the town clerk and other officials and dignitaries walked in 'a procession of enormous length' from the Coloured Cloth Hall Yard to the site of the new Town Hall.
Alderman Hepper, the chairman of the Town Hall Committee began proceedings by asking the Mayor to lay the foundation stone. He presented him with a silver trowel with an ivory handle, and with a mallet made of polished oak with inscribed silver mountings. The mayor assisted by the architect and contractor then laid the first stone at the south west corner of the building. Into a cavity in the foundation stone was placed a sealed bottle containing gold and silver coins, copies of the Leeds Mercury, the Leeds Intelligencer, and the Leeds Times, a list of council members and officials, and a copy on vellum of the inscription on the brass plate which covered the cavity in the stone.
The inscription on the brass plate covering the cavity in the foundation stone read as follows: 'The Corner Stone of this Town Hall, erected by the Mayor, Aldermen, and Burgesses of the Borough of Leeds, was laid on the 17th August 1853, in the 16th year of the reign of Queen Victoria , by John Hope Shaw, Esq., Mayor. Building Committee:-Chairman, Alderman William Edward Hepper; Aldermen John Wilson, John Darnton Luccock, William Kelsall, Charles Gascoigne Maclea, Francis Carbutt; Councillors Richard Bissington, John Marshall, George Brook, John Ardill, David Newton, Joshua Garsed Heaps, Joseph Broadhead, John Croysdale, William Kettlewell, James Smith, Robert Wood, Robert Meek Carter, William Illingworth, John Lister, George Skirrow Beecroft, Robert White. Town Clerk:-John Arthur Ikin. Architect:- Cuthbert Brodrick.'
[edit] Work In Progress
The building works were fraught with difficulties from the beginning. Atack, the builder, did not have enough capital to work continuously, and had trouble finding enough men to work on the site.
The work progressed only slowly and was not helped by the fact that Britain was at war in the Crimea. On 17th September there was a half-day holiday to celebrate the fall of Sebastopol, and the following day few men turned up for work.
Brodrick was sometimes not satisfied as to the quality of the work, or the building materials. There were delays in the supply of building stone from Rawdon Hill Quarries, and sometimes poor quality stone was sent. On one occasion Brodrick took a hammer and destroyed a faulty cornice stone to prevent it being used. Stone had to be obtained from other quarries at Sturdy, Pool Bank, Bramley Fall and Calverley Wood, and from Darley Dale in Derbyshire. In all, stone (millstone grit) from 17 separate quarries was used. Stone for the carvings came from Rawdon Hill.
In April 1856 matters came to a head. Work was stopped; Atack had run out of money, and Brodrick refused to pay him any more, as the builder had already been overpaid. The committee overseeing the work reached an agreement with Atack, and work was re-started. But by the autumn, Atack and Brodrick were again arguing over payment and in December, Atack had managed to spend £2,000 more than he was contracted to do so, and the work was still incomplete. In January 1857 work stopped completely, and in March Atack went bankrupt. He claimed £20,000 from the council for arrears and extra work not included in the contract, but was paid only £3,000. Other contractors had to be brought in to finish the work, and Donaldson, the clerk of works left to work in India.
As the building progressed further many expensive alterations and additions were made to the original plans. No expense was spared to fulfil the dream of a truly grand building to reflect the civic pride of Leeds had taken hold. When Brodrick was told to choose locks for the doors, he was told to 'give preference to those with the most brass about them'. An exception was made in the matter of making the building fire-proof; it was considered to be too costly.
By September 1858, when Queen Victoria was due to perform the opening ceremony, the building was still not finished including the incomplete tower. The interior decoration, apart from in the Victoria Hall was still unfinished. On 30th September 1858 the council voted the sum of £20,000 for finishing and furnishing the building. This was in addition to the £800 already spent on furnishing the mayor's rooms.
[edit] The Tower
There was great controversy over whether a tower should be added to the hall. Barry had suggested that a tower should be added, and Brodrick had produced a design which would cost £6,000 to build. This was rejected by the council, but in September 1853 Alderman Hepper tried again to persuade the council to grant £7,000 for a tower. However, he was outvoted by 27 to 20.
Opponents of the tower, such as Joss Bower from Hunslet, thought that it would cost too much money and be of no practical use. Alderman Hepper and Dr. Heaton and their supporters were in favour of adding the tower to give both dignity and beauty to the Hall. It would be a pity, said Heaton, having spent so much already on the building, not to spend a few extra thousands to complete it.
A compromise was reached in February 1854, when the council granted the money to construct the roof so that it would support a tower if eventually one was built. The matter was finally settled in March 1856 when the construction of the tower was approved by a majority of 19. The contract for building the tower was awarded to Addy and Nicolls of Leeds. This meant the grand staircase, which had been part of the original design, had to be omitted when the plan was changed to include the tower.
The tower was to have a clock and a bell. The clock has 4 faces, and was designed by Edward Beckett Denison, and made by Dent of London. The bell that goes with it weighs 4 tons, and was made by Warner's of Cripplegate, London. Its dimensions are: Diameter 6ft 2ins, height 5ft, thickness of sound bow 6 inches, and weight of the clapper (made of wrought iron) 1cwt. The cost of the bell was £662.12s
[edit] Opening
Preparations for the opening of the Town Hall began several months in advance. Queen Victoria was due to arrive in Leeds on Monday 6th September 1858. She was on her way from Osborne House on the Isle of Wight to Balmoral, and after stopping for lunch at Peterborough, the royal train was expected at Leeds at 6.15pm on Monday evening.
The Queen was to be met by the Mayor, Mr. Peter Fairbairn, and the town clerk, Mr. John Ikin, in their new robes of office. Also present on the platform were the Earl and Countess Fitzwilliam, (the Lord Lieutenant of the West Riding), Lord Derby, Lieut. General Sir Harry Smith, J W Childers Esq. (the High Sheriff of Yorkshire), the Bishop of Ripon, the vicar of Leeds Dr. Hook, M T Baines M P, and other local Members of Parliament. The mayors of Bradford and Rochdale and other towns were also present, as were the borough magistrates. A guard of honour was provided by a detachment of the 22nd Infantry Brigade under the command of Colonel Harding, and nearby was a party of artillerymen with four guns ready to fire a salute on the arrival of the royal party. A ticket was needed to gain admission to the station platform and to the wooden stands.
'The Times' described the scene as the Queen left the station. 'Once her carriage was fairly seen outside the railway station, and there arose such a cheer, as has seldom been heard before. It was a cheer, not only of the thousands to whom she was visible, but the cheers of all along the line of route; it was caught up and passed from street to street, and into places far removed from where the Queen would pass - one long sustained outburst of loyal enthusiasm.'
A large crowd had gathered along the route, and more people were waiting for the arrival of the Queen at Woodsley House. They were entertained by 'Smith's Model Band'. The Queen dined with Lord Derby, Earl Fitzwilliam, Sir Harry Smith, Lady Churchill, her Lady-in–Waiting, and the Mayor of Leeds.
Tight security was in force; no-one was allowed near Woodsley House, which was guarded by the military, encamped outside the walls of the gardens. But many people stayed on the streets to see the illuminations which had been put up all through the town. Engravings made at the time, which appeared in the Illustrated London News, the News of the World and the Illustrated Times show the magnificent decorations on houses, shops and factories. There were triumphal arches, flags, banners, festoons, wreaths, and loyal inscriptions.
On the following day, Tuesday, the Queen left Woodsley House for Woodhouse Moor, where she listened to hymns sung by 26,000 Sunday School children. The procession then went along Woodhouse Lane, down Upperhead Row, and along Briggate. It was here that Mr. T D Appleby spread flowers in front of his shop to scent the air. Then along Wellington Street where the Queen admired the decorations on the Mayor's factory. Then along West Street, Queen Street, Park Place, King Street, and East Parade where a huge triumphal arch had been erected, to the Town Hall.
A huge crowd had assembled in front of the Town Hall – every available standing place was occupied, and people even watched from windows and galleries. The crowds were held back by the police, the local force being assisted by a body of the A division of the Metropolitan police. At one point the pressure of the crowd was so great that it broke the wooden barrier holding people back. According to the Leeds Intelligencer: 'Her Majesty was richly but simply attired....her dress was a rich mauve silk with brocaded flounces. Her mantle was of white lace, ornamented very elaborately, apparently with needlework. Her bonnet also was of white lace. With a few simple flowers inside, and a short white veil, also of lace. Her hair was plainly parted in what we believe is the 'Victoria' fashion. The dress was of sufficient amplitude, but nothing to the mountains which some ladies indulge in. The Princesses were dressed exactly alike - green and white silk dresses, with violet coloured mantles, and light bonnets trimmed with green. The Prince Consort wore an ordinary morning dress, with his blue ribbon of the Garter.'
The Queen was escorted into the Town Hall by the Mayor. She stopped in the vestibule where the Brodrick, the architect, was presented to her. The royal procession then entered the great hall, to the sound of the organ playing the National Anthem, and thunderous applause from the assembled gathering. The proceedings began with prayers led by the Bishop of Ripon, the National Anthem was sung, and the town clerk, Mr. Ikin, read out an address from the Leeds Corporation, to which the Queen replied. An address was also presented to Prince Albert, who also replied. Then the Queen taking the sword of General Grey asked the Mayor to kneel, and touching him with the sword on each shoulder said 'Rise Sir Peter Fairbairn.'
The Earl of Derby advancing to the right of Her Majesty then said: 'I am commanded by the Queen to declare in Her Majesty's name that this hall is now opened.' There was loud cheering and applause and the Hallelujah Chorus was sung. A red flag was hoisted and a royal salute fired to announce the opening to the people of Leeds.
The Queen was then shown round the Town Hall, and was taken to the Mayor's apartments for lunch. After another visit to the great hall, she left for Wellington Street station to continue her journey to Scotland.
[edit] The Finished Building
[edit] Exterior
The building is in the classical/baroque style, rectangular in shape, with two storeys over a basement. Above the south entrance is the clock tower, and at each corner of the roof are four smaller towers, which are ventilation shafts. There are three entrances to the ground floor; the main entrance is approached by a wide flight of stone steps, with two plinths with stone lions on either side. There are two other entrances to the ground floor, one on the north side opening onto Great George Street, and one on the east onto Calverley Street. Other entrances lead into the basement. There are various carvings: mythical heads on the keystones at the rear of the hall, and heads carved on the keystones on the west side of the building. Above the main door is a sculpture by John Thomas. This 'represents Leeds in its commercial and industrial character, fostering and encouraging the Arts and Sciences.'
Brodrick deliberately planned that the Town Hall should be built towards the back of the site, to leave as much room as possible at the front of the building. When the Town Hall was opened it was surrounded by a large space, and in front of the building was 'a good sized square', (Victoria Square) in the centre of which was a statue of the Duke of Wellington by Baron Marochetti, with a lamp on either side.
[edit] Interior
The Ground and First Floors The entrance opened into a vestibule, with a domed ceiling, and separated from the hall by a glass screen. The floor is inlaid with tiles made by Minton, Hollins & Co. of Stoke-on-Trent. According to the Leeds Intelligencer, these are similar to the tiles used in the Senate House in Washington which were made by the same firm. In the centre of the vestibule was a statue of Queen Victoria by Matthew Noble. This was presented to the town by the Mayor, (Peter Fairbairn), and cost 1000 guineas.
[edit] The Victoria Hall
At the centre of the ground floor is the Victoria Hall, 92 feet high, 161 feet long, and 72 feet wide and capable of seating 8000 people. The Intelligencer of 11th September 1858 says that the hall 'was enriched with colour in almost lavish manner, every portion being more or less decorated.' The decorations in the Victoria Hall, and the vestibule were carried out by John Crace of London. The sides of the Victoria hall are divided into five bays by Corinthian columns which were decorated in imitation of Rosso-Antico marble with capitals gilded in bronze and gold. The bases of the columns were painted in imitation of Verde antiqua and other rare marbles. The circular roof is divided into five sections supported by the columns. Behind the plasterwork the roof is supported by laminated wood beams arranged in pairs; the only other buildings in this country to have this design were the Crystal Palace and King's Cross Station. Both the walls and ceiling are decorated with elaborate plasterwork. Originally the walls were a 'quiet' green, with borders of darker green outlined with maroon. The ceiling was a neutral vellum colour, with a border of citron and grey, and ornamentation in maroon red or blue. Mouldings on the ribs of the roof were in bronze and gold.
Above the bays at the sides of the hall were semi-circular windows, originally with stained glass by Messrs. Edmundson & Son of Manchester. Above the windows are figures by John Thomas, the central sculpture being a ram's head, from which hung cut glass chandeliers made by Messrs. Osler of Birmingham. The original gas lighting system was replaced by electricity in 1883.
At each end of the hall and around the walls are various inscriptions, picked out in gold. The organ is housed at the north end of the hall in an alcove painted blue, and powdered with stars. On the west side of the Victoria hall were two refreshment rooms, and on the east side, cloakrooms, which faced the side entrance in Calverley Street.
To the right of the main entrance at the south east corner of the building was the council chamber, furnished with polished wood, the seats cushioned with red leather. Next to this were the Town Clerk's office, and the committee rooms. Along the east side were the office of the Borough Surveyor and other council officials, and in the north east corner was the Civil Court, and rooms for witnesses and court officials. At the opposite, North West corner was the Crown Court, connected by a stone staircase in the dock to the prison in the basement. Along the west corridor were more rooms for court officials, and in the south west corner, the Borough Court, the dock again connected to the basement by an iron staircase. The chief of Police had his office beside this court.
Where the corridors meet at each corner is a staircase leading to the first floor, with an identical layout to the first floor except for the council chamber and courts, which extended over two floors. The first floor rooms were council offices, and rooms for the use of court personnel, except on the east side where the mayor had a suite of reception rooms. The rooms were connected by folding doors, so that up to a hundred people could be accommodated at one time. The lavish furniture and fittings were supplied by Messrs. Kendell & Co., and included magnificent cut glass chandeliers.
[edit] The Basement
On the east side of the basement was a kitchen, with stairs to the mayor's rooms on the first floor. There were also living rooms for the caretaker of the building. On the West side of the building was the police headquarters, with the goal and the gaoler’s residence. In the south west corner, under the borough court was the police muster room, and the large space under the Victoria Hall was used as a drill room by the police. The Bridewell, or the 'Central Charge Office' as it was officially known was in the north west corner, with access from the street provided by a door on the west side of the building.
The total cost of building the Town Hall was £111,739. Alterations to accommodate the Assizes in 1864 cost an additional £10,261.
[edit] Recent Restorations
[edit] 1978-79 Victoria Hall Restoration
In September 1978 the condition of the plasterwork on the ceiling and walls of the Victoria Hall was becoming a cause for serious concern. Pieces were falling off into the hall, and some of the ornamentation had come loose, and was potentially dangerous. The hall was closed and a detailed inspection made. It was found that the plasterwork had deteriorated badly. It was decided to restore or replace the damaged plaster, and to completely redecorate the hall and the vestibule. This was done, making sure that the original designs were reproduced exactly. As sections of ornamentation were removed each was individually recorded, by taking photographs, and making clay impressions. Exact replicas could then be made.
Despite Cuthbert Brodrick's attention to detail, and insistence on good workmanship, several examples of poor supervision and bad workmanship were found in the original plasterwork. Insufficient reinforcement had been used when mixing the plaster and some of the masonry was out of line. The designs for the original decorations had been lost, so a scheme for the redecoration in 1895 by John Dibble Crace was used. The modern decoration differs from Crace's scheme only in the decorations over the semi-circular window at the back of the hall. The arms of the seven local authorities which merged with Leeds are shown instead of the original coat of arms of the city and the arms of the local craft guilds.
[edit] 1995-2000 Restoration
Extensive restoration and refurbishment of the building were carried out to improve the levels of comfort and provide new facilities. This included improved acoustics, the building of new boxes in the Victoria Hall, and the restoring the floor in the vestibule.
[edit] Present Day
Today, although it is no longer the centre of municipal administration and justice, it is still a building of vital importance to the city. It still houses council offices - those of the department of Learning and Leisure, which occupy the first floor and part of the ground floor.
The Victoria Hall is still used as a convert venue for music and performances of all kinds. The Town Hall has also become a popular conference venue. The old Council Chamber, which in 1933 became the Crown Court, is now the Albert Room, part of a suite of rooms used for conferences. Individual rooms are available to hire for private events.
Some of the old features of the building remain. The old borough courtroom is still fully intact, with wooden benches and stairs leading down from the dock into the basement. The basement itself, which is no longer used as a Bridewell, is a storage area, though parts of the old Bridewell, including the cells under the stairs remain to this day. In 2003 a pair of kestrels was found nesting in the cupola of the clock tower. From here they have a marvellous view over the city which is only seen by members of the public on special open days where parts of the building are open to the public.
[edit] See Also
- Landmarks in Leeds
[edit] Notes
Much of this article is adapted from this source. The same site is the source for most of the images also. A full bibliography for that article is listed here.
[edit] External Links
Leeds City Council
Discover LeedsCategoryBuildings and structures in Leeds
