SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

In tonights YEP has an interesting article called "The Seven Lost Wonders of Leeds". One in particular caught my eye - The Moot Hall - does anyone know if the bell still exists and where it is?As an aside to this it refers to three heads that were stuck on poles for 13 years outside belonging to the Farnley Plotters - must has caused a hell of a stink!

Not sure about the bell, but the statue (is it of Queen Anne - cant remember) is in the art gallery!

This is one of the pictures that when i see it i wish i could jump into it and have a wonder about down them streets

The cupola looks very similar to the one on the white cloth hall today. I know these often cropped up after being transferred to different buildings. Any ideas?

I can't work out were the 3 heads would have been stuck! - seemingly they finally blew down in a storm. Can't understand why the Farnley Plotters were executed - their crime seemed rather trivial - mind you in those days it seems you could be executed for dropping litter.Must nip into the art gallery to see the statue

Brandy wrote: This is one of the pictures that when i see it i wish i could jump into it and have a wonder about down them streets Me too pal,where would we go?Crown and Fleece?Id want to nip up to Woodhouse to natter with some ancestorsoops i feel another thread coming on

Charles IIJust as an aside - The Farnley Wood plotters is quite an interesting tale ... seemingly they tried to overthrow the King Charles II - how they could do that from Farnley Woods is beyond me.The major plotters were Joshua Greathead and Captain Thomas Oates, operating primarily in Farnley, West Yorkshire, but also with links to Gildersome, Morley, West Yorkshire and Leeds. The aim was to capture and overthrow the Royalist strongholds of Leeds city centre, in light of the recent English Restoration. The plot was disbanded on 12 October 1663. Twenty-six men were arrested, imprisoned and then hanged, drawn and quartered as traitors.....The men were taken to the assizes in York. The assizes at York were normally held so many times a year, and with the Plot behind held in October, the next time for trial was the Winter assizes. However, three of the arrested men (Robert Atkins, John Errington and Henry Wilson) did not wait to find out their verdict, and managed to escape from York. They made their way to Leeds.Once in Leeds, they hid in an inn, but were finally arrested and taken into custody. On the 14th January, 1664, they were sentenced to death for treason. They were transported to Chapeltown Moor, where a gallows had been constructed. It is believed that this triple treason execution (involving the sentenced being hung, drawn and quartered) attracted one of the largest ever crowds within the city centre.They were hung by chains, before being dissected. The executioner, a local joiner, of the name Peter Mason cut off the three heads, and over the course of the night, preserved them. The following day, they were stuck on the railings of Moot Hall.It wasn't until 1677 that the skulls were blown down in a gale.Fascinating article here ... why wasn't I told this when I was at school - it would have added a lot of interest to the Civil War.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farnley_Wood_Plot    

The Plotters HQ - says Corporals Crowthers House C.1920 Jacobean House known as Corporal Crowthers House as Bank Street, Morley. This house was a meeting place of the Farnley Wood Plotters in 1663. (Does anyone know if this house still exists?)More details herehttp://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legends/en ... le_1.shtml    

Noticed that we are coming up to the anniversary of the plot - 12th October - wonder if there are any local traditions like Guy Fawkes.Remember, remember the 12th of October ....One of the references in the Wiki suggests there may be a haunting or two as well!