SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Well, if LCC are taking control of the building as suggested above, I think we can safely kiss it goodbye. As we know from Royal Park, West Park, Stanks Hall Barn and any number of other examples, one thing they just don't do is asset management - especially if Cllr Lewis is in the picture!This seems like a beautiful dream now - http://www.leeds.gov.uk/docs/05.%20Lowe ... DOPTED.pdf

Yeah, its been all quiet hasn't it?Its a real embarrasment, both sides of Lower Kirkgate

cnosni wrote: Yeah, its been all quiet hasn't it?Its a real embarrasment, both sides of Lower Kirkgate I can only assume that the Tour De France won't be passing through this part of town....

raveydavey wrote: cnosni wrote: Yeah, its been all quiet hasn't it?Its a real embarrasment, both sides of Lower Kirkgate I can only assume that the Tour De France won't be passing through this part of town.... Its an embarrasment, the council should put in a compulsory order to buy it all and make it into some kind of Bohemian Quarter, something quirky.

Jesus! Are you serious? Going by their track record, LCC would be the last organisation I'd want in charge of any buildings of historical or cultural value.The question is who we could entrust things like this to.

Looking at the Leeds Civic trust website regarding the Stank Hall barn and why nothing gets done with it herehttp://www.leedscivictrust.org.uk/?idno=1179Then common sense should prevail. I'd be all for those medieval roof timbers and beams to be taken to bits carefully and numbered. And let us have them re erected down in Kirkgate in a scheme where the Cloth hall once stood. It's right next to the Corn exchange and the whole area could look really good. Kirkgate is one of the oldest areas in Leeds and should be restored as such.Kirkgate could be, and should be restored to something amazing. The Crown and Fleece skulls should also be put back in place here. There is some fantastic medieval timber work here. Those ancient timbers would look great in a big hall like you'd see in York. The Council could redeem themselves for letting the Cloth Hall fall to pieces, and subsequently end up having to demolish it.They would also bring back life to a medieval structure that will never be seen by the public where it stands. We would have an original ancient old building back on that spot. Much better than any plastic Disneyland false recreation were sure to get lumbered with.The stonework isn't important to the barn at all, that was just filled in roughly at later dates. It's the timber work and beams that go back hundreds of years. That roof could be fixed as high as you like, it was originally designed to sit on pad stones. Brick pillar pad stone heights can be built for whatever design you like. The Council would solve one of their problems, and kill two birds with one stone here! If done well it could be truly amazing and something at last unique to Leeds.            The Merchant Adventurers Great Hall York.http://tinyurl.com/p4q7q6u    Stank Hall barn reputedly built from some timber left over from the construction of the Christopher Columbus ships, the Santa Maria, Niña, and Pinta. A Leeds building that dates from 1420, with a phase of rebuilding in 1492 deserves a far better future than being stuck derelict in a muddy field in Beeston.                                

On the SL2 facebook group today https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =1&theater there is a newspaper cutting dated January 1983 about the 1st White Cloth Hall's 'discovery'. It states that, at that time the Hall was in 'sound condition' and "it is hoped by the council that its restoration will become a blue riband example of conservation in the city."I wonder what happened there ...!

Thanks for the link Croggy. I've cropped the paper cutting to make it easier to read. It says the find is of 'national importance'

Click photo for full size.

you'd have a fight on your hands getting it out of beeston https://www.facebook.com/FriendsOfStank ... s.com/this group have plans and have just got a licence from the council to create a heritage edible garden, as a first step, as well as an oral history and archaeology project