Burley Bar Stone - and the rest

uncle mick · Post by **uncle mick** » Thu 06 Mar, 2014 6:35 am

Reading this snippet from The Leeds Mercury ( November 15th 1865) the west bar stone had gone then

mark1978 · Post by **mark1978** » Thu 06 Mar, 2014 10:52 am

Here's the area referred to, as per the 1850 map:

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Thu 06 Mar, 2014 2:53 pm

Two photos where the West bar stood from Leodis herehttp://tinyurl.com/qad6yw4(c) Leodis.1869. Old view of the north side of Boar Lane, taken in 1869 by A. Macaulay and reproduced on 11th August 1909 by Leeds City Engineers. In the centre is the former oyster shop of John Norton at no.31, opposite the junction with Mill Hill, which is here almost entirely covered with advertising posters. These include adverts for Reckitts Starch, A. Megson's printing works on Briggate, R. Spence, grocers outfitter, of 15 Call Lane, Wallett(?), the Theatre Royal, Amphitheatre and various lectures; also a meeting at the Town Hall calling for the release of Irish political prisoners. To the left of no.31 is Dickinson's Yard while to the right is Albion Square. On the far left of the photo is no.13 West Bar, formerly Joseph Couldwell, paper hanger, who according to a notice has moved to Briggate; he is listed at no.159 Briggate in an 1872 directory. This building is possibly due for demolition as Boar Lane is expanded into the area formerly known as West Bar. On the far right is part of the premises of William Duncan Leslie, hatter, of 32 Boar Lane, while the taller building in the background is the warehouse of Richard Scholefield & Son, wool merchants, of Albion Square.(c) Leodis.1869. This photo, taken in 1869 by A. Macaulay and reproduced by Leeds City Engineers in 1909, shows where the old Boar Lane ended and merged with West Bar. West Bar was one of six medieval boundaries of Leeds which were marked by bar stones in 1725. The building on the right is no.31 Boar Lane, opposite the junction with Mill Hill, which was formerly J. Norton, oyster dealer, but appears empty here and covered with advertising posters. Next to this is Dickinson's Yard where Goodyears Bakers is situated. The row of buildings to the left are addressed as West Bar. According to information provided by Leeds City Engineers they are Messrs. Kendell's Huggins, and Couldwells. Directories of the 1860s list John Kendell & Co., upholders, cabinet manufacturers and merchants at no.10, West Bar, Jno. Huggins, oyster dealer at no.11 and Joseph Couldwell, paper hanger at no.13 but all look closed down by this time, though the shop on the corner, believed to be no.13, is advertising a Great Sale of Electro-Plate Cutlery. By the time of an 1872 directory West Bar is not listed at all, so it seems likely that all these buildings had been demolished and the area redeveloped, with the expansion of Boar Lane into the area previously covered by West Bar.*Perhaps a search for Boar Lane might through up some more photos*

mark1978 · Post by **mark1978** » Thu 06 Mar, 2014 3:29 pm

Those are indeed pictures of West Bar (the street), but I'm not sure they're the spot where the actual West Bar was. That old letter mentions it being set into the wall of a shop "prior to the erection of the bank", which to me implies the Yorkshire Bank building (later Flares / Observatory whatever horrid nitespot's there now) at the junction with Bishopgate Street. Didn't know that was site of the old castle either!

mark1978 · Post by **mark1978** » Thu 06 Mar, 2014 3:33 pm

Oh. Leodis says:"A blue plaque was unveiled in 1989 at the Bond Street Centre in Boar Lane. This marked the site of the original West Bar stone at the western border of medieval Leeds adjacent to the Manorial Park."http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... AY=FULLNot the site of the bank then! I feel another saga developing...

somme1916 · Post by **somme1916** » Thu 06 Mar, 2014 4:29 pm

I've been following this thread with great interest.Been some excellent input from many contributors.I realise the thread has developed on now to the west bar theme but just thought i'd add a few words on the Burley bar bit.Was in town earlier so thought i'd take a decko...The area identified as the location between Hellenic and the old WR bus station was my focus.It's currently covered by a white plywood ribbed cover approx 1/2" thick which runs up to roof/signage level so the stone is obviously covered.The brickwork joint between the 2 buildings is 2 and a half bricks thick...the brickwork on the bus station side exactly matches the brickwork on the pictures submitted i.e. dappled in appearance(bit like when the sand when the tide has receded).The newer buildings to the left look to be in a poor state.The concrete pillars are all cracked and if you look skyward at the joint,the brickwork is not the straightest and undulates somewhat up the height of the building.Would have loved to be able to remove that white wooden cover to reveal the stone but.......it should be easy to reveal when it is finally removed.It doesn't look like there's any damage been done in it's application(drilling/nails etc) but not 100% positive on this.The panelling originally discussed i.e. on the corner of Lady Lane on the bus station wall is of a pre-fab type material, back reinforced with steel bars and approx 30mm thick.The front is made of compacted small stone type material,flush all round and greenish in colour.Sort of stuff you'd imagine old style garages being made of.Interestingly round to the side were some adverts for "The Netherlands National Circus" running from Weds 9th Sept-Sun 13th Sept on Killingbeck Fields,York Rd.Another poster advert was for "The Moscow State Circus" running from Weds 23rd Sept-Sun 27th Sept.Neither stated the year.Above this was an advertising hoarding for Chit,Chat Communications in red,white and blue.Had a quick look round the back which looked a bit sorry.The electric clock looking particularly lonesome on the wall having stopped functioning at 5.33 pm.Someone has drawn a sad look on the clock face.Look forward to the day it is finally revealed and well done to all the other contributors.Now,back to the West Bar..................

jim · Post by **jim** » Thu 06 Mar, 2014 4:54 pm

jim wrote: Searching Leodis for "West Bar, Boar Lane" brings up four photos and notes, two of which depict an oyster bar at 31 Boar Lane, which could well have been the site of the West Bar Stone. To add to the Leodis pictures about which I posted here yesterday and two of which Phill has now kindly posted, what about the building to be seen in photo 57 when searching "Boar Lane" on Leodis? This is dated 1866, and shows the junction of Boar Lane with Basinghall Street at that time, and would appear to be the building against which "B Stone" is marked on the 1847 OS map. I think that this is the building dimly and partly seen on the extreme left of the second of Phill's pictures above.

Post by **cnosni** » Thu 06 Mar, 2014 6:06 pm

Phill_dvsn wrote: (c) Leodis....... West Bar was one of six medieval boundaries of Leeds which were marked by bar stones in 1725. This seems to confirm that the Bar Stone inscriptions that we see today are 18th century, so as "Bar Stones " appear on the 1500 map then the ones we have are defo replacements.I wonder why these boundaries were still relevant in 1725 considering the borough had been expanded beyond these mediaval boundaries in 1626.There MUST still have been some sort of civic/ adminitsrative importance attatched to them, perhaps some sort of benefit for those living within/trading with the old boundary, a perhaps a way of local revenue being collected if a transaction (at the Cloth Markets within the boundary?) has taken place between a trader/ manufacturer and buyer.I cant see the early Georgians going to the lengths of sentimentality by putting these replacenent stones in place.

Leodian · Post by **Leodian** » Thu 06 Mar, 2014 6:57 pm

It may just be illusionary or the way the photographer was standing when he/she took the photo but the road seems to have a noticeable slope. I wonder of Boar Lane (as we know it now) did have a slope then but which has since been levelled out?

jim · Post by **jim** » Thu 06 Mar, 2014 7:15 pm

jim wrote: To add to the Leodis pictures about which I posted here yesterday and two of which Phill has now kindly posted, what about the building to be seen in photo 57 when searching "Boar Lane" on Leodis? This is dated 1866, and shows the junction of Boar Lane with Basinghall Street at that time, and would appear to be the building against which "B Stone" is marked on the 1847 OS map. I think that this is the building dimly and partly seen on the extreme left of the second of Phill's pictures above. Could some kind person please put up "photo 57" (Leodis, Boar Lane, page 12) that I refer to as, being "computer illiterate", I am unable to do so myself!