Lovely Leeds: Gorgeous Architecture

I spent the whole of yesterday thinking it was Tuesday... which it was not. Oops. So, here's a slightly late Wednesday blog post for you :)

When I visited Leeds this spring, the weather was so wonderful. Bright sunshine! Blue skies! The perfect combo for exploring the city on foot and taking lots and lots of photos of its loveliness.

I've already blogged about some of the great places I visited in the city, but in this final post about my trip I'd like to share a few photos of some of the other interesting buildings I spotted while exploring the city.

There were domes aplenty...

Lots of gorgeous big windows (those rooms must be filled with light!)

Lovely statues of symbolic ladies (without any clothes on of course, clothing would distract from the symbolism don'tcha know)...

... and statues of important, serious, famous gentlemen doing important, serious, famous things:

Everywhere you look, there are "functional" buildings decorated with delightful architectural details and flourishes.

The Civic Hall even has shiny gold bits! You've got to love a city that puts golden owls on its buildings.

There are owls on the Leeds Coat of Arms, and they pop up all over the city - there's even an Owl Trail map so you can go owl-spotting and discover the city's heritage along the way. I hope I'll have time to follow the trail on my next visit!

Wanna see more of the loveliness I spotted in Leeds? Check out my posts about the Corn Exchange, Kirkgate Market, Leeds waterside and the Royal Armouries Museum, the magnificent Victorian Arcades, and the wonderful Central Library.

Exploring Leeds: Kirkgate Market

Time to explore a bit more of Leeds' lovely architecture!

So far I've blogged about the Central Library (amazing), the Corn Exchange (very big, very round) and the city's gorgeous Victorian shopping arcades.

Today I'm sharing some photos of Kirkgate Market.

 

Kirkgate Market is one of the largest indoor markets in Europe, has had a long and colourful history and is still thriving today.

The exterior is wonderfully grand...

... and the inside doesn't disappoint!

 

 

I'd love to have this as my local market... and not just because I spotted several stalls selling yarn, fabric and haberdashery!

Just look at all those lovely details. 

 

If you're in Leeds on the second Saturday of the month, you can go on a free tour of the building - click here for details.

I wonder if in a hundred years time people will be going on heritage tours of our glass and marble-filled shopping centres? 

Exploring Leeds Corn Exchange

I am slooooowly getting all my photos edited from my (short but busy) visit to Leeds this spring!

Today I've got some pics of the city's Corn Exchange to are with you. The Corn Exchange is yet another of Leeds' lovely Victorian buildings... but one with a slightly unusual shape:

Not often you see a round building, is it?

Completed in 1864, the Corn Exchange was a busy trading centre for over a hundred years. Farmers and merchants gathered in the large open space to trade grains and flour, and the building also hosted farmers markets and fairs.

You can still see a trace of the building's history up on the roof.

In recent years the Corn Exchange has been restored, with sweeping staircases added to allow access to the balcony and basement levels.

Isn't this a fabulous space? Gorgeous but functional and with wonderful attention to detail (like so many Victorian buildings).

Nowadays the Corn Exchange is home to cafes and lots of little independent shops. I really enjoyed exploring them all and was very tempted by some vintage clothing but (alas!) knew there was no room in my suitcase. I shall have to remember to leave space next time I visit.

Planning a trip to Leeds? Check out my posts about the Leeds Central Library, the waterside and Royal Armouries Museum, and the city's gorgeous Victorian shopping arcades.

A Visit to the Gorgeous Leeds Central Library

When I visited Leeds this spring, a friend recommended lots of interesting places to visit - including Leeds Central Library (on the right, below) which houses lots of books (of course!) and the Leeds Tapestry.

The Tapestry is great, a really charming stitched celebration of the city... but the library itself: wow! What a fabulous building. All libraries are magical places (a whole building full of books? that you can borrow for free? you don't get much more magical than that) but this one is particularly special.

There are decorative details everywhere you look. Carved stonework, fabulous archways...

 

... beautiful stained glass...

 

...and so very many gorgeous tiles.

 

 

They even have a copy of one of my books in their Art Library, which clearly seals their status as an excellent library. I couldn't resist taking a photo! Having spent my childhood and teen years borrowing endless books from my local libraries, finding my own books on library shelves gives me chills - it's just so thrilling.

In the same building as the library, you'll also find Leeds Art Gallery (sadly closed for repairs during my visit) and the Tiled Hall Cafe. This is - as you might guess from the name - a cafe in a tiled hall! It was originally the reading room when the library was built in the late 1800s but fell out of use and has only recently been restored to its former glory.

 

Aren't those blue/green tiles wonderful?

What a place to sit and have a cuppa and a slice of cake! And if that's not enough loveliness for you,  it's just a ten minute walk from the splendour of the Victorian County Arcade which I blogged about a few weeks ago.

Leeds, you are awesome.

P.S. Interested in visiting Leeds? You might also enjoy my post about Leeds waterside and the Royal Armouries Museum.

Leeds: Magnificent Victorian Shopping Arcades

This spring I spent a week in Yorkshire, visiting Leeds and then York - exploring both cities and visiting lots of museums and other interesting historic bits and pieces along the way.

One of the highlights of my trip to Leeds was the Victoria Quarter, which is home to three Victorian shopping arcades.

 

There's Thornton's Arcade, which was built in 1877 and was the first of Leeds' arcades (at one time there were eight!).

If you look closely at that photo, you might be able to just make out the clock at the far end of the arcade - it's decorated with four figures from the book Ivanhoe (including Robin Hood and Friar Tuck) who strike the bells every quarter of an hour. Sadly, I didn't time my visit quite right and missed this!

Next there's Queen's Arcade, which was built in 1889.

 

 

Both arcades have some lovely decorative ironwork, and are filled with a mix of independent shops and well-known chains.

And last but by no means least is the County Arcade. Built between 1898 and 1900, this is a large and very splendid arcade!

There are some lovely and very smart arcades in London but I've never seen one quite like this before. I mean, just look at it! Isn't it fabulous?

 
 There are glazed domes...

 

... colourful ironwork, decorative tiles, symbolic mosaics...

... golden shop signage, balconies, marble columns...

... and sunlight streaming in through pane after pane of glass.

 

Even the floor is gorgeous.

The shops themselves are all pretty fancy as well, with a whole host of luxury brands to choose from.

This is somewhere that's definitely worth a visit, even if you're just planning on window-shopping!

Want to read more about my trip to Leeds? Click here to read about my walk along Leeds' waterside.