Building the Schofields Centre

rikj · Post by **rikj** » Mon 17 Dec, 2007 11:30 pm

The old Schofields store was built on the site of what should have been one of Leeds most historic landmarks. A large house was built on the site in 1628 for Alderman Thomas Metcalfe. It was the first building in Leeds to be built from a new material, red brick. So distinctive was its appearance that it was called Red Hall.It soon became even more famous as in 1646 King Charles was imprisoned there. There is a stained glass window in St. John's Church commemorating something about this I think.The Red Hall was purchased by the Schofield family in 1912 and was demolished in 1961 to make way for the department store. I've got it in my mind that the demolition was in 2 stages, but can't find the references.Anyhow, that was the birthplace of the red brick city.

drapesy · Post by **drapesy** » Tue 18 Dec, 2007 4:00 pm

Here's a pic from Leodis of Red Hall

drapesy · Post by **drapesy** » Tue 18 Dec, 2007 4:04 pm

Another casualty of Schofield's expansion was the 'Old Cock and Bottle' a coaching Inn dating back to the 17th Century.This pic is from Leodis , I believe you can see part of Red Hall to the right.This is the Leodis caption to this picture;Description:c1906. Cock and Bottle Inn, 18th century inn on the junction of Upperhead Row and Guildford Street. Formerly a coaching inn from where the coach 'Eclipse' owned by Reuben Craven of the Woolpack Inn, Yeadon ran to Ilkley. Sold to Snowden Schofield in 1938 and remained as part of Schofields store for some time, but was demolished during extensions in 1961

Si · Post by Si » Tue 18 Dec, 2007 4:22 pm

What a fantastic building! How would you describe that architectural genre, Drapesy?

LS1 · Post by **LS1** » Tue 18 Dec, 2007 5:01 pm

I thought Red Hall was on King Charles' croft, which would be now roughly where the Lands Lane Entrance to the Headrow centre is/ was before they have recently remodelled the area. I know on this corner the King Charles pub stood once, and i tried to look for some foundations when they knocked down the old shoe shop on Lands Lane (was it a shelly's) but there wasnt anything there. I did go up to the old Circus foodcourt in the centre and get some pics, but nothign special. On old maps Red hall is marked as being just roughly where David H Myers opticians is on Albion Street.

LS1 · Post by **LS1** » Tue 18 Dec, 2007 5:03 pm

Si wrote: What a fantastic building! How would you describe that architectural genre, Drapesy? Quaint and old as a layman!!- and also sacreligious that it was ever destroyed in the name of 'progress'

drapesy · Post by **drapesy** » Tue 18 Dec, 2007 8:48 pm

Si wrote: What a fantastic building! How would you describe that architectural genre, Drapesy? Jacobean.

Si · Post by Si » Wed 19 Dec, 2007 8:46 am

Not gingerbread house meets Spanish galleon, then? I agree, it's a shame it's been lost.

drapesy · Post by **drapesy** » Wed 19 Dec, 2007 9:51 am

Si wrote: Not gingerbread house meets Spanish galleon, then? I agree, it's a shame it's been lost. Sorry - I thought you meant Red Hall - not the Cock and Bottle. You're right the old pub is a weird building.very 'quaint'!

Si · Post by Si » Wed 19 Dec, 2007 11:03 am

LS1 wrote: I thought Red Hall was on King Charles' croft, which would be now roughly where the Lands Lane Entrance to the Headrow centre is/ was before they have recently remodelled the area. I know on this corner the King Charles pub stood once, and i tried to look for some foundations when they knocked down the old shoe shop on Lands Lane (was it a shelly's) but there wasnt anything there. I did go up to the old Circus foodcourt in the centre and get some pics, but nothign special. On old maps Red hall is marked as being just roughly where David H Myers opticians is on Albion Street. On my 1847 OS map of Leeds, Red Hall is on the corner of what is now the Headrow and King Charles Street (including it's forecourt, which is next to the Cock and Bottle.) That puts it under the Schofields Centre, roughly opposite where Beatties was. So Drapesy is right - you can see Red Hall in the background of the Cock and Bottle picture.