3rd White Cloth Hall

The 3rd White Cloth Hall from Cloth Hall Street

The 3rd White Cloth Hall is an important historic building in Leeds city centre in England. It was the most important market place in the world for the sale of undyed cloth, between 1776 and 1865.

History

After construction of the two prior white cloth halls in 1711 and 1756 there was a meeting in 1774 to plan the building of yet another cloth hall in Leeds. Most of the money for the scheme came from the wealthy Leeds merchants, and a site was found on a piece of land called the Tenter Ground in the Calls. The hall was built around a large central courtyard, and at the northern end it was two storeys high, with assembly rooms on the upper storey. The Hall was built at a cost of £4,300, and opened in 1775. During the Victorian period, the White Cloth Hall Yard played host to various events, including the circus, as evidenced by an 1858 poster for Pablo Fanque's Grand Allied Circus.[1]

The Cupola from the demolished 2nd White Cloth Hall was installed on the roof in 1786.

When the railway system was extended through the town centre in 1865 the building was literally sliced in half by the new North Eastern Viaduct. This necessitated the construction of the 4th White Cloth Hall, built at the expense of the North Eastern Railway company.

Present

Only parts of the original cloth hall building remain, When it was complete it was a massive and imposing building, we can only get a limited impression of how it looked when it extended down to The Calls and was a full rectangle.

What remains of the building has been restored, and is now occupied by shops and a restaurant, it can be found just off Kirkgate next to The Corn Exchange.

See also

Coordinates: 53°47′43.9″N 1°32′22.3″W / 53.795528°N 1.539528°W / 53.795528; -1.539528

References

  1. ↑ ""Pablo is Coming!" July 1858 poster archived at Leeds Play Bills". Leed Play Bills. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
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