SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

The demolition of the Santander Bank HQ on Merrion Street, Leeds, has allowed a new view.

The 2 photos I've added were taken on May 13 2021. The first was taken from Merrion Street and shows Symons House that has prestigious apartments for students (its main entrance is on Belgrave Street). The second is a view from just off Belgrave Street showing the demolition of the Santander HQ (Merrion Street is out of view on the right).

Presumably what is built at the Santander site will then block the view of Symons House from Merrion Street.

The building I think started as the National Giro bank,taken over by Alliance and Leicester who in turn were taken over by Santander.
In the early days of ATM cash machine you could only use your own bank ATM so if I needed cash outside Post Office hours I used to use this one on the way to work.
The machine I.D. was NERO,North Eat Regional Office.

Hello Leodian,
Just looking at your pictures of demolition in Merrion St. reminds me just
how Leeds City Centre has become so ugly with all these faceless buildings of glass and concrete where ever you look. I suppose it will be replaced by something similar.

Architects have always had negative reviews!!
I'll get my coat.

And some demolition on Regent Street

volvojack wrote: ↑

Sat 15 May, 2021 1:12 pm

Hello Leodian,
Just looking at your pictures of demolition in Merrion St. reminds me just
how Leeds City Centre has become so ugly with all these faceless buildings of glass and concrete where ever you look. I suppose it will be replaced by something similar.

Hi Jack .

This photo may interest you. It is a view looking along Wade Lane taken from near its junction with Merrion Street that I took on May 13 2021.

... The building I think started as the National Giro bank ...

I had an account with them and certainly remember when they had the place in Merrion Street. Nothing to do with this building but it's amazing how they managed to make a mess of such a good idea. I'd always been with the Yorkshire Bank going back to my childhood when it was the Yorkshire Penny Bank but when we moved to Garforth in 1969 they had no branch there so we eventually opened an account with what was then the relatively new National Giro. We stuck with it for some years, in spite of some dreadful service before eventually moving to the Shabby National.

To my surprise there is still a fair bit remaining of the Santander building, as seen in this photo that I took on June 11 2021 compared to that seen in the photo I took on May 13 2021. This new view was taken from Merrion Street and includes (by chance ) an aeroplane contrail.

The remainder of the Santander Bank HQ on Merrion Street, Leeds, has recently been demolished. I have attached 2 photos of the site that I took on June 24 2021. The first was taken from the rear of Fairfax House (on the corner of Merrion Street and Wade Lane). The Tudor-looking premises are on Merrion Street and comprise bars and fast food outlets. The second photo shows more of the students accommodation Symons House (off Belgrave Street) that had a lot hidden from view before the bank was demolished. The tall brown building on its right will be the Vita Saint Albans Place students accommodation. The full lettering seen from behind on the roof reads 'Belgrave' and will probably be on the roof of the Belgrave Music Hall & Canteen on Cross Belgrave Street.

As always, thank you Leodian for your documentation of the changing face of Leeds City centre.