Kirkgate Markets
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Kirkgate Market (pronounced ) is a
market Market is a term used to describe concepts such as: *Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand *Market economy *Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market *Marketing, the act of sat ...
complex on Vicar Lane in the city centre of
Leeds Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...
,
West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a Metropolitan counties of England, metropolitan and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and east, South Yorkshire and De ...
, England. It is the largest covered market in Europe and a Grade I
listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
. There are currently 800 stalls which attract over 100,000 visitors a week.


Location

The markets are situated with their front facing onto Vicar Lane and the southern face onto Kirkgate. To the east is
Leeds City bus station Leeds City bus station serves the city of Leeds, England. Owned and managed by West Yorkshire Metro, it is situated between the Quarry Hill and Leeds Kirkgate Markets areas of Leeds city centre. The National Express Dyer Street Coach Station ...
, while to the north is the
Victoria Gate Victoria Leeds is a shopping district and leisure area in central Leeds, comprising the 1990 Victoria Quarter, an arcaded complex of restored 19th-century and contemporary shopping arcades, and the 2016 Victoria Gate development. Notable for ...
development. To the south of the open market is the markets
multi-storey car park A multistorey car park (Commonwealth English) or parking garage (American English), also called a multistorey, parking building, parking structure, parkade (Canadian), parking ramp, parking deck, or indoor parking, is a building designed fo ...
operated by
National Car Parks National Car Parks (NCP) is a private car park operator, with car parks in towns, cities, airports, London Underground and National Rail stations. History NCP was founded in 1931 by Colonel Frederick Lucas. In October 1948 Sir Ronald Hobson ...
(NCP). From across Vicar Lane, the markets are connected to
Briggate Briggate is a pedestrianised principal shopping street in Leeds city centre, England. Historically it was the main street, leading north from Leeds Bridge, and housed markets, merchant's houses and other business premises. It contains many h ...
via the
Victoria Quarter Victoria Leeds is a shopping district and leisure area in central Leeds, comprising the 1990 Victoria Quarter, an arcaded complex of restored 19th-century and contemporary shopping arcades, and the 2016 Victoria Gate development. Notable for ...
.


History


Origins

The markets first opened in 1822 as an open-air market, and between 1850 and 1875 the first covered sections of the market had been constructed after the market moved from
Briggate Briggate is a pedestrianised principal shopping street in Leeds city centre, England. Historically it was the main street, leading north from Leeds Bridge, and housed markets, merchant's houses and other business premises. It contains many h ...
. The Central Market hall, built alongside Duncan Street, was surrounded on three sides by shops that were mainly rented to butchers and fishmongers. Inside the hall, stalls were erected for the sale of fruit, vegetables, and dairy produce, with the balcony being used for selling fancy goods. The South Market, bordering Hunslet Lane and Meadow Lane, was used by butchers, various goods shops, open stalls, nine slaughterhouses and eighteen homes. Plans for a market on the Kirkgate site were first unveiled in 1850 by Borough Commissioner to plans modelled on
Joseph Paxton Sir Joseph Paxton (3 August 1803 – 8 June 1865) was an English gardener, architect, engineer and Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Member of Parliament. He is best known for designing the Crystal Palace, which was built in Hyde Park, London, Hyde ...
's Crystal Palace in London's Hyde Park. Development began on the current site in 1857. Then in 1875, further land was acquired to the South and East for the expansion of the market. The
Corn Exchange A corn exchange is a building where merchants trade grains. The word "corn" in British English denotes all cereal grains, such as wheat and barley; in the United States these buildings were called grain exchanges. Such trade was common in towns ...
and
First First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...
and
Third Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', i.e., the third in a series of fractional parts in a sexagesimal number system Places * 3rd Street (di ...
White Cloth Halls were all situated in close proximity, creating a market area in the
city centre A city centre, also known as an urban core, is the Commerce, commercial, Culture, cultural and often the historical, Politics, political, and geographic heart of a city. The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English, and closely e ...
. The Third White Cloth Hall moved to Queen Street in 1865, ending this concentrated area of market trading.


Early expansion

In 1894, Fish Row was created – a row of fishmongers in a cooled area of the market. Between 1891 and 1895, a domed glazed roof was added to the market hall. A dedicated meat market and abattoir was developed in 1899. The cost of these expansions totalled over £25,000.


Marks & Spencer

In 1884, Kirkgate Market was the founding location of
Marks & Spencer Marks and Spencer plc (commonly abbreviated to M&S and colloquially known as Marks & Sparks or simply Marks) is a major British multinational retailer based in London, England, that specialises in selling clothing, beauty products, home produc ...
which opened in Leeds Market as a penny bazaar. The Marks & Spencer's heritage is marked by the Market Clock in the 1904 hall which bears the shop's name. This clock was unveiled in 1984 to celebrate the centenary of Marks & Spencer. In 2012 Marks and Spencer returned to Kirkgate Market, opening a stall alongside the centenary clock. In 1904, Marks & Spencer relocated its Leeds branch to the then recently opened Cross Arcade (now part of the
Victoria Quarter Victoria Leeds is a shopping district and leisure area in central Leeds, comprising the 1990 Victoria Quarter, an arcaded complex of restored 19th-century and contemporary shopping arcades, and the 2016 Victoria Gate development. Notable for ...
). In 2009, over 60,000 historic artefacts concerning Marks & Spencer were relocated from London to the Centenary Gallery in the
Parkinson Building The Parkinson Building is a grade II listed building in Greek Revival style by Thomas Lodge located at the University of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. The clock tower is the highest point of the building and stands at 57 metres (187 ft) ...
at the
University of Leeds The University of Leeds is a public research university in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was established in 1874 as the Yorkshire College of Science. In 1884, it merged with the Leeds School of Medicine (established 1831) and was renamed Y ...
.


A new ornate hall

In 1893, Leeds gained city status, which brought an increased desire amongst members of the corporation to build civic buildings that befitted this status. The area around the market was made up of
abattoir In livestock agriculture and the meat industry, a slaughterhouse, also called an abattoir (), is a facility where livestock animals are slaughtered to provide food. Slaughterhouses supply meat, which then becomes the responsibility of a meat ...
s and
slum A slum is a highly populated Urban area, urban residential area consisting of densely packed housing units of weak build quality and often associated with poverty. The infrastructure in slums is often deteriorated or incomplete, and they are p ...
s making it appear less than salubrious. A design competition was held to find an architect capable of designing an opulent new hall to the front of the market. A prize of £150 was set for the winner, which (following allegations of corruption in the competition) was awarded to Joseph and John Leeming of London. Despite misgivings about the award of the design, the plans went ahead and the corporation budgeted £80,000 for building the new hall. J Bagshaw and Sons of
Batley Batley is a market town in the Kirklees district, in West Yorkshire, England, south-west of Leeds, north-west of Wakefield and Dewsbury, south-east of Bradford and north-east of Huddersfield, in the Heavy Woollen District. In 2011, the popu ...
were chosen as engineers for the project. Further controversy was generated when, in May 1901, many traders within the markets were given one week's notice to vacate their stalls so that work on the new hall could commence. Traders demanded compensation for loss of trade, fixtures and fittings. The new hall opened in 1904, costing £116,700, somewhat more than the original budget of £80,000. A ceremony in July of that year conducted by Mr G. W. Balfour, MP for Leeds Central and President of the Board of Trade, marked the new hall's opening.


Second World War

Despite the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
bringing problems such as conscription and air-raids (although the latter became a rare occurrence in Leeds) the markets continued to trade, albeit on a smaller scale. Air-raid shelters were built at the site for market traders and an
Air Raid Precautions Air Raid Precautions (ARP) refers to a number of organisations and guidelines in the United Kingdom dedicated to the protection of civilians from the danger of air raids. Government consideration for air raid precautions increased in the 1920s a ...
(ARP) service was operated by over 100 volunteers from the market site. The
Ministry of Food Ministry may refer to: Government * Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister * Ministry (government department), a department of a government Religion * Christian mi ...
operated offices at the market to implement
rationing Rationing is the controlled distribution (marketing), distribution of scarcity, scarce resources, goods, services, or an artificial restriction of demand. Rationing controls the size of the ration, which is one's allowed portion of the resourc ...
. On 14 March 1941 the markets were damaged in a bombing raid on Leeds. The damage was limited and the markets continued to trade. After the war, the Markets Committee proposed a £55,000 development at the market. New warehouses were provided as well as an open market and car parking. Twenty new butchers' shops were built, older shops were refurbished, and several older buildings were demolished.


1950s and 60s development and opening of competing facilities

In 1956 it was found that upgrading the shops to meet modern hygiene regulations was impractical, so new shops were built creating Butchers' Row and the Fish and Game Row. By the 1950s the market had over 400 traders and over 100,000 shoppers visited the complex every Saturday. To relieve this problem, the council bought a site off Pontefract Lane in
Cross Green Cross Green is an area in the east of Otley, England, and the location of a multi-use sports stadium. The stadium is currently used mostly for rugby union matches and is the home ground of Otley R.U.F.C. It is on the eastern edge of the town ...
to accommodate a new wholesale market. This market was itself closed in 2009 over concerns that it was being used to sell counterfeit goods. With the opening of the Merrion Centre in the 1960s the market had to compete with the newer but smaller Merrion Market (then Merrion Superstore). In recent years the Merrion Markets have closed and the Kirkgate Markets have regained their dominance in Leeds City Centre.


1975 fire

On 13 December 1975 a fire broke out in the market hall. The cause of the fire has never been determined, although stallholders have speculated over several causes including an electrical fault and an overturned paraffin heater. Attempts made to extinguish the fire by stallholders were to prove fruitless. By the time over 100 firefighters had extinguished the fire, most of the roof had collapsed. The ornate 1904 market hall was completely undamaged by the fire and a small part of the 1875 hall survived, however an estimated £7 million worth of damage was done to other halls. Traders who had lost their stalls were accommodated in other parts of the city centre until replacement halls were built at the Kirkgate site. After only three days of closure, undamaged parts of the Markets reopened.


Rebuilding 1976–1981

Following the destruction of most of the market hall in the fire of 1975, significant rebuilding works had to take place in order to re-accommodate displaced traders. Shortly after the fire, in 1976, the first replacement hall opened in the north-east corner of the complex. Unlike the ornate 1904 hall or the stone-built 1875 hall (little of which remained), the 1975 hall was a large open hall, built of steel sheets with a lattice roof structure. In 1981 the second of these halls opened, built in identical style in the south-east corner of the market. The two halls appear to be one from the outside with no join, but they are separated by a dividing wall inside.


1986 redevelopment proposals

In 1986 a proposal was put forward by
Leeds City Council Leeds City Council is the local authority of the City of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. Leeds has had a council since 1626, which has been reformed on numerous occasions. Since 1974 it has been a metropolitan borough council. It provides the ...
with Dutch developers MAB(UK) and
Norwich Union Norwich Union was the name of insurance company Aviva's British arm before June 2009. It was originally established in 1797. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. On 29 April 2008, Aviva a ...
as major investors. The plans involved retaining the 1875 and 1904 Halls, but replacing the rest with a new single market hall, new shops, a new bus station and multi-storey car park. The plans proved unpopular with the local population and were opposed by the Market Traders' Association and
Leeds Civic Trust Leeds Civic Trust is a voluntary organisation and registered charity established in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England in 1965. Affiliated to the national charity Civic Trust (England), Civic Voice, its stated purpose is "to stimulate public interes ...
. Despite these misgivings the council granted the scheme planning permission and sought to push on with plans. In order to see the plans through, a
compulsory purchase order A compulsory purchase order (CPO; , ) is a legal function in the United Kingdom and Ireland that allows certain bodies to obtain land or property without the consent of the owner. It may be enforced if a proposed development is considered one for ...
was required by the council and this was refused by the
Secretary of State for the Environment The secretary of state for the environment was a UK cabinet position, responsible for the Department of the Environment (DoE). Today, its responsibilities are carried out by the secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs and the ...
. The plans were formally dropped in 1990, leaving the council again with the dilemma of what to do with the increasingly dilapidated market halls


1991 refurbishment

Following the cancellation of the 1986 proposals, a new solution was sought. Leeds City Council, again with Norwich Union as investors, proposed a more modest refurbishment plan which was soon formally approved. Work commenced in 1991. The exterior stonework and lead roof were repaired and adjoining shops were rebuilt. The entrances to the 1904 hall were refurbished with ornate iron work in keeping with the original design. The previously underused upper floors were refurbished to provide modern office space. The 1904 hall was redecorated in line with its original style and new stalls were built in a similar style. The services to the buildings were modernised with new electric and water supplies installed, along with new fire and security services. Drainage and ventilation to the building were also improved. The refurbishment works were set back in 1992 after a fire broke out in one of the domes at the Vicar Lane end of the 1904 hall, resulting in the dome having to be rebuilt. Following this refurbishment Kirkgate Market was upgraded from a Grade II to a
Grade I listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
.


1995 refurbishment

By the 1990s it was becoming apparent that the parts of the 1875 hall to survive the 1975 fire were becoming increasingly dilapidated. Work began repairing this area in 1995. The roof, which had fallen into significant disrepair was repaired and the internal stonework was refurbished in keeping with the original Victorian style of the hall.


1996 developments

In 1996 the outdoor market was redeveloped with new market stalls being erected, along with a new central square. At about this time a new bus station was built at the eastern end of the outdoor market and a new multi-storey car park was built to the southern side of the outdoor market.


Buildings

The current building frontage opened in 1904. Fire ravaged the rear halls in December 1975 and these were rebuilt soon after, giving the rear halls a more modern open-plan feel, albeit lacking the character of the 1904 hall. To the very rear of the site there is an outdoor market. Crammed in between the 1904 hall and the rear modern halls is the oldest hall, from 1875, which contains both Butchers' Row and Fish and Game Row. The 1875 hall is not an open hall, as the others but acts as a series of passages between the 1904 hall and the more modern 1976 and 1981 halls.


1875 Hall

The 1875 Hall is situated between the 1904 hall and the later 1976 and 1981 halls. To the northern end of this hall is Butchers' Row which leads to the 1976 Hall; to the southern end is Fish and Game Row, which leads to the 1981 Hall. In between the two rows, various stalls are situated and can be accessed from the rear of the 1904 hall. The 1875 hall can only be accessed via the other four halls and has no entrances from the street of its own. Little of the 1875 Hall can be seen from the outside except from above. Prior to the fire of 1975, much more of the 1875 hall existed; the fire however caused much of this to completely collapse, hence the hall's disjointed feel these days.


1904 Hall

The 1904 Hall is the most ornate of the halls and is situated at the front of the complex. The hall has a glass roof and is surrounded by a balcony, which runs the full perimeter of the hall. The roof and balcony are supported by a cast-iron internal structure. The exterior of the hall is ornately decorated in a
Flemish Flemish may refer to: * Flemish, adjective for Flanders, Belgium * Flemish region, one of the three regions of Belgium *Flemish Community, one of the three constitutionally defined language communities of Belgium * Flemish dialects, a Dutch dialec ...
/
Art Nouveau Art Nouveau ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and ...
style and provides the main entrances to the complex. The hall contains a mixture of stalls and connects to the 1976 and 1981 halls via the 1875 Hall. In the centre of the hall is the Market Clock, a replacement for the original which now stands in Oakwood. The front is lined with shops facing Vicar Lane, while the upper floors which run in a 'U' shape along the northern, southern and western sides, contain private offices. The 1904 hall is the only part of the complex to survive the 1975 fire in its entirety. The hall was first listed in 1973.


1976 Hall

The 1976 Hall is connected to the older halls via Butchers' Row. It replaced earlier buildings destroyed in the 1975 fire. It is a large open-plan hall, constructed from sheet steel with a lattice roof structure. Unlike earlier halls it has no supporting pillars. From the outside it is indistinguishable from the 1981 hall, but is separated by a dividing wall. There are a variety of different stall types in this hall.


1981 Hall

The 1981 hall is situated in the south-eastern corner of the complex and is almost identical to the 1975 hall from which it is separated by a partition wall. Like the 1975 hall, a variety of different types of stall holders occupy this hall.


Outdoor Market

The open market situated to the rear is accessible via the 1976 and 1981 halls. There are three blocks of stalls, denoted by the colour of their roofs (blue, red and yellow) with green-roofed stalls at the bottom. The open market is surrounded by a brick wall, with lockable gates. A variety of types of stallholders occupy the open market. Towards the bottom end it is mostly occupied by
greengrocer A greengrocer is a person who owns or operates a shop selling primarily produce, fruit and vegetables. The term may also be used to refer to a shop selling primarily produce. It is used predominantly in the United Kingdom and Australia. In the ...
s, however the other rows include many stalls selling electrical goods, computers and clothing.


See also

*
Architecture of Leeds The architecture of Leeds, a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England, encompasses a wide range of architectural styles and notable buildings. As with most northern industrial centres, much of Leeds' prominent architecture is of ...
*
Grade I listed buildings in West Yorkshire There are over 9,000 Grade I listed buildings in England. This page is a list of these buildings in the county of West Yorkshire, by metropolitan district. Bradford Calderdale Kirklees ...
*
Listed buildings in Leeds (City and Hunslet Ward - northern area) City and Hunslet (ward), City and Hunslet is a Ward (electoral subdivision), ward in the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It contains over 400 Listed building#England and Wales, listed buildings that are recor ...


Notes


References

*


External links


Official Leeds City Council Markets WebsiteDiscovering Leeds – MarketsFriends of Leeds Kirkgate Market
{{Coord, 53.7972, -1.5397, display=title, region:GB_scale:2000 Buildings and structures in Leeds Grade I listed buildings in Leeds Grade I listed markets and exchanges Retail markets in England Retailing in Leeds