Saxton Gardens multi storey flats.

dogduke · Post by **dogduke** » Wed 09 Mar, 2011 10:17 pm

Construction was delayed by WW2.Leodis has several pictures of the proposed site pre war - late 1930'swhen Quarry Hill construction was well advanced.The present flats opened 1957.Is there any record of what sort of development the council had in mindwas it to be along the lines of Quarry Hill or did they have somethin else planned ?

Tasa · Post by **Tasa** » Wed 09 Mar, 2011 11:36 pm

This link gives a bit more information about Saxton Gardens. If you click on the + signs in the various sections, they will open up more information.http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?ho ... 507646I've had a look at my Pevsner Architectural Guide to Leeds and on Google Book Search, but they only confirm what you've said above - designed in 1939 but abandoned because of the War, then actually built in the 1950s. The Pastscape website is the only source I can find which implies that Livett designed the blocks as they now appear.

dogduke · Post by **dogduke** » Thu 10 Mar, 2011 12:52 am

Thanks for that Tasa.Livett seems to have being the city architect for a considerable timebefore and after the war,he seems to have had a hand inmost of the tower blocks post war.My point is - did he build what he intended pre war ordid he rethink and build a more modern design ?My money is on the theme that he wanted more buildings on the QHFstyle,Saxton Gardens seems too modern for that era.

Bramley4woods · Post by **Bramley4woods** » Thu 10 Mar, 2011 2:25 am

dogduke wrote: Thanks for that Tasa.Livett seems to have being the city architect for a considerable timebefore and after the war,he seems to have had a hand inmost of the tower blocks post war.My point is - did he build what he intended pre war ordid he rethink and build a more modern design ?My money is on the theme that he wanted more buildings on the QHFstyle,Saxton Gardens seems too modern for that era. As any episode of "The Bill" would testify, very many similar blocks were built in (Hush my lips) London in the late 1920's -30's, some very famous.

Tasa · Post by **Tasa** » Thu 10 Mar, 2011 9:36 am

dogduke wrote: Thanks for that Tasa.Livett seems to have being the city architect for a considerable timebefore and after the war,he seems to have had a hand inmost of the tower blocks post war.My point is - did he build what he intended pre war ordid he rethink and build a more modern design ?My money is on the theme that he wanted more buildings on the QHFstyle,Saxton Gardens seems too modern for that era. Yes, I understood what you meant (had the design changed between the original pre-war plan and what was actually built in the 50s?) - it was the wording in the description box on the Pastscape site which seemed to imply that it was built to the pre-war design (but this could just have been the way it was worded!).Going by the example given by Bramley4woods, they may well have been from the pre-war design, but this kind of architecture is not my strong point!

grumpybloke · Post by **grumpybloke** » Sun 20 Mar, 2011 2:45 pm

I used to work in East Street Mills just near Saxton Gardens and peered out of the window at them on many an occasion. I would have thought that they were a bit modern looking for a pre-war design unless they were built broadly to the original ground plan but actually finished with post war materials. My son is renting a flat in one of the blocks and I must admit, they have been tarted up very nicely.