SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

This is a photo I took on August 30 2011. What caught my eye was the badly eroding stone work at street level. The Bonhams sign is obviously new but the 1793 date may be that when the building was built. It would seem likely that at least some of the possibly original stone work will have to be removed. If it is the original building (or at least its main structure) it must surely be among the oldest in Leeds. I will put a photo of the ornate door in my next post here.In some information that I've just found in a property site it states "The premises comprise a purpose built auction house understood to have built during the middle of the 19th century for John Hepper & Sons. The premises are Grade II listed and are arranged over lower ground, basement, ground, first and mezzanine floors. With an ornate stone facade to East Parade...In addition on the first floor there is a particularly character area with “library style” mezzanine and ornate glazed cupola. The building offers male and female WC facilities, a rear goods lift/hoist and is gas centrally heated". I wonder where the rear entrance is?

This is a photo (taken on August 30 2011) of the very ornate doorway of the Hepper & Sons Auctioneers building. It is immediately left of the first photo. The doorway is currently locked and gated.    

Bonhams was established in 1793. This building is later.

Hi Leodian,Please see:http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk ... 7a-leedsIt lists the building as dated 1863 (which goes along with the carved stonework to the rhs of the door)As you suggest, the sandstone at ground level certainly looks in need of replacement.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=The+hea ... ,-22.68the back door is on Park Cross Street.

Thanks Cardiarms. The building has a fair depth to it stretching from East Parade to Park Cross Street.

Guiseley_Guile wrote: Hi Leodian,Please see:http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk ... 7a-leedsIt lists the building as dated 1863 (which goes along with the carved stonework to the rhs of the door)As you suggest, the sandstone at ground level certainly looks in need of replacement. Cheers Guiseley_Guile. Until you mentioned it I had not noticed the 1863 ornate date in the stonework. Well spotted.

Leodian wrote: This is a photo (taken on August 30 2011) of the very ornate doorway of the Hepper & Sons Auctioneers building. It is immediately left of the first photo. The doorway is currently locked and gated.     Your door in summer 2009 - doesn't look as though that padlock has been touched since then!http://www.flickr.com/photos/chameleon2 ... ecretleeds

chameleon wrote: Leodian wrote: This is a photo (taken on August 30 2011) of the very ornate doorway of the Hepper & Sons Auctioneers building. It is immediately left of the first photo. The doorway is currently locked and gated.     Your door in summer 2009 - doesn't look as though that padlock has been touched since then!http://www.flickr.com/photos/chameleon2 ... ecretleeds It certainly is nice metalwork. The building is grade 2 but I wonder if that applies to the door. It will be a pity if it just gets sent to scrap at some stage if the eventual new owners don't want it if it is considered not modern enough.

This building was politely urbexed in 2008: http://www.urbexforums.co.uk/showthread ... mber-08The rear of the building can also be seen at:http://www.flickr.com/photos/seant_25/6062599090/