SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

I've noticed that the Yates's on Boar Lane is having work done on it, at street level and the higher floors. The building looks like it is old but having never been inside I wonder if there are any old internal fittings remaining (possibly in the higher floors). If there are I wonder if they will be retained.

Interesting... I always wonder what goes on in some of those upper floors. Slightly further along, but the old Griffin Hotel seems to have some strange goings on in the upper floors. In winter on the dark mornings/ evenings I often walked past and saw different lights on and off at different times of the day. Very strange. I wondered if it may be squatters or something more ghostly......

LS1 wrote: Interesting... I always wonder what goes on in some of those upper floors. Slightly further along, but the old Griffin Hotel seems to have some strange goings on in the upper floors. In winter on the dark mornings/ evenings I often walked past and saw different lights on and off at different times of the day. Very strange. I wondered if it may be squatters or something more ghostly...... Hi LS1I also often wonder what the upper floors of some buildings in the centre of Leeds are used for (if anything) as many of them never seem to have signs of anyone ever in them! I don't know but I suspect that the inside of the unused Griffin Hotel may be very interesting.    

LS1 wrote: Interesting... I always wonder what goes on in some of those upper floors. Slightly further along, but the old Griffin Hotel seems to have some strange goings on in the upper floors. In winter on the dark mornings/ evenings I often walked past and saw different lights on and off at different times of the day. Very strange. I wondered if it may be squatters or something more ghostly...... The “unused” Griffin Hotel is not as unused as you would think. The Former Griffin, now the Discovery Inn – previously the Best Western Inn / Days Inn - with the entrance next to the Scabby Taps – is still a hotel, just not with the entrance on Boar lane. The Boar Lane Entrance was partitioned of and leased out as a separate entity [to Scottish & Newcastle Retail Ltd.]. Hence the hotel entrance moved “round the back” and the bit at the front remains empty after S&N’s lease expired. The lights above being on at odd times would tie in with the hotel still being open as a hotel.I stayed there over the weekend of the SL first birthday and, grim as it was, it was still possible to rent a “smoking” room. The one I had was along a labyrinth of corridors, overlooking Boar Lane.

Thanks for that information Liits. I had thought that the Griffin Hotel has been unused and presumably mothballed for some years now.

Yes,bits of the Griffin are still there in the new hotel (including a wall carving) as they haven't bothered moving them.I stopped in the place last year with the girlfriend and spotting bits of the old hotel were interesting.i wouldn't recommend the place as it needs a thorough overhaul which is why it always comes up if you are looking for cheap rooms in Leeds as available!

LS1 wrote: Interesting... I always wonder what goes on in some of those upper floors. Slightly further along, but the old Griffin Hotel seems to have some strange goings on in the upper floors. In winter on the dark mornings/ evenings I often walked past and saw different lights on and off at different times of the day. Very strange. I wondered if it may be squatters or something more ghostly...... Lots of hidden things going on in the city centre.There was/is a Karaoke Bar that was setup in this office, very professionally done and complete with bar. Open till around 0600 weekends.http://goo.gl/maps/iwj3cWhether it is still there, I dont know.

When I come up to Leeds I go to Yates Winelodge. We have a meal and a bottle of wine and a good gab. It does need a bit of an upgrade especially when you see Wetherspoons.We have been happy with the wine and the food but don't like the toilets as they have one of those hand dry machines which nearly sucks your rings of your fingers lol. Plus the cubicles are so small if you were obese you would be stuck in their for years.

ArmleyLass47 wrote: When I come up to Leeds I go to Yates Winelodge. We have a meal and a bottle of wine and a good gab. It does need a bit of an upgrade especially when you see Wetherspoons.We have been happy with the wine and the food but don't like the toilets as they have one of those hand dry machines which nearly sucks your rings of your fingers lol. Plus the cubicles are so small if you were obese you would be stuck in their for years. The last sentence made me . I wonder how long someone could live surviving by gradually eating their own muscle/fat (self cannibalism!). There's not a great deal to me so not that long in my case I would guess, but perhaps being obese could be a life saver in such an event! I just knew being fat would be the healthy thing in at least one situation!

I don't even use our toilets at work.. Getting into one of those cubicles is akin to trying to squeeze tha sen under the kitchen sink. I always use the disabled toilets at work. Plenty of legroom, elbow room and room to pass gas with unbridled pleasure.