Page 1 of 1
Interesting shaped structure on a building at Briggate/Commercial Street junction.
Posted: Wed 27 Jul, 2016 8:48 pm
by Leodian
There is an interestingly shaped flat top looking structure on the top of a building at the junction of Briggate and Commercial Street that is currently a Carphone Warehouse store. I've noticed the structure for a long time but I've only finally got round to taking some photos and these are 2 that I took on July 26 2016.
- BriggateWithCommercialStreetOnRightJuly262016.jpg (105.97 KiB) Viewed 3070 times
- BriggateWithCommercialSteetJustToRightJuly262016.jpg (106 KiB) Viewed 3070 times
Being intrigued I had a look through the Leodis photo archive and to my surprise I found that there used to be a small 'spire' on top of the current structure. The spire is seen in a photo dated 16 March 1938 and is still there in one dated 18 January 1953 but it is not there in one dated 19 July 1956. I wonder why it was removed? Does anyone recall the spire?
These are links to the 3 Leodis photos:-
http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... SPLAY=FULL
http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... SPLAY=FULL
http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... SPLAY=FULL
Re: Interesting shaped structure on a building at Briggate/Commercial Street junction.
Posted: Thu 28 Jul, 2016 6:10 pm
by Steve Jones
Just a long shot but could it have been a Time ball?
used to be quite a few where the ball raised to the top of a pole and then dropped at noon or another significant time.
Re: Interesting shaped structure on a building at Briggate/Commercial Street junction.
Posted: Fri 29 Jul, 2016 7:17 pm
by Leodian
Steve Jones wrote:Just a long shot but could it have been a Time ball?
used to be quite a few where the ball raised to the top of a pole and then dropped at noon or another significant time.
Hi Steve
.
I like that suggestion as it does seem a possibility. I have now come across a photo in Leodis that I did not seem to find in my original search for whatever reason. It shows a better view of the structure photographed on 16 March 1938 but it sadly misses the top of an object on the very top of the structure. This is the link to the photo:-
http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... SPLAY=FULL
Re: Interesting shaped structure on a building at Briggate/Commercial Street junction.
Posted: Fri 29 Jul, 2016 11:37 pm
by warringtonrhino
I appreciate that an oil panting is not as accurate as a photograph but these might help resolve ( or confuse) the issue.
Re: Interesting shaped structure on a building at Briggate/Commercial Street junction.
Posted: Sat 30 Jul, 2016 7:00 pm
by Gars28
While on the subject of structures on the top of buildings does anyone know the purpose of this on the Metropole hotel? It appears to be built in stone above the terracotta frontage of the hotel and has always stood out to me.
Re: Interesting shaped structure on a building at Briggate/Commercial Street junction.
Posted: Sat 30 Jul, 2016 8:50 pm
by dogduke
According to Wikipedia
The structure/cupola was atop the 4th white cloth hall which
occupied the site between 1868-1895.