Leeds Then and Today: First White Cloth Hall

Andy Hutchinson reflects on the history of the White Cloth Hall on Kirkgate.

Transcript

00:00 Hi, it's Andrew Hutchinson with the latest edition of Leeds Then and Today. Here I am

00:11 on Kirkgate in Leeds City Centre, outside what was one of Leeds' most historic buildings.

00:25 Founded in 1711, the White Cloth Hall is the first of four halls built over the last three

00:31 centuries for the sale of undyed cloth and one of only two halls that remain standing

00:37 to this day in the city. The hall represents the beginnings of the city's wealth through

00:42 the cloth trade. It was also built to dissuade traders from moving to another cloth hall

00:47 in Wakefield. After a variety of other uses, by the 1980s, the first White Cloth Hall was

00:53 vacant. By 2010 it was completely disused and had fallen into a state of beyond poor

00:59 disrepair. The amusement arcade in its eastern wing was still operational, but the rest of

01:04 the building was getting close to state of collapse. A series of meetings with the City

01:08 Council planning officers, the building owner Emco and English Heritage concluded that the

01:13 western and southern sections of the building had to be demolished in 2010. Thanks to years

01:18 of campaigning for its preservation and renovation, restoration works began in 2019 after Leeds

01:26 City Council granted Rush Bond Group permission to save the structure. Now, with a blend of

01:31 all the new features, the building stands strong on Kirkgate and remains an iconic part

01:37 of Leeds' history. The original oak timber trusses, which play a significant part in

01:42 the building's heritage, were salvaged in the renovation and incorporated into the roof

01:46 structure of the new build. Interestingly, analysis of tree rings at the site date back

01:56 to the 14th century, which is amazing when you consider that the White Cloth Hall was

02:00 built in the early 18th century. The restoration now includes a complete reinstatement of the

02:19 original west wing, which was lost during demolition in 2010. There's also a toplet

02:25 atrium in place of the former central courtyard and a new circulation core on the building's

02:29 southern elevation to create a visual link to Leeds' Crown Square and Corn Exchange.

02:45 This building was a nominee in the Adapted Buildings category of the 2023 Leeds Architecture

02:51 Awards and what a worthy nominee. This site is a huge part of the city's rich history

02:59 and heritage and should be protected for future generations to come.

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