Yeadon Town Hall

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Yeadon Town Hall
Yeadon Town Hall 29 June 2018 02.jpg
Yeadon Town Hall in June 2018
LocationYeadon
Coordinates53°51′58″N 1°41′06″W / 53.8662°N 1.6849°W / 53.8662; -1.6849Coordinates: 53°51′58″N 1°41′06″W / 53.8662°N 1.6849°W / 53.8662; -1.6849
Built1880
ArchitectWilliam Hill
Architectural style(s)French Gothic
Websiteyeadontownhall.co.uk
Listed Building – Grade II
Designated7 April 1988
Reference no.1204098
Yeadon Town Hall is located in West Yorkshire
Yeadon Town Hall
Shown in West Yorkshire

Yeadon Town Hall is a municipal building in Yeadon, West Yorkshire, England. It is Grade II listed.[1]

History[]

In the early 19th century the local board of health held its meetings in the old school in what is now Town Hall Square.[2] Meanwhile the local Mechanics Institute used the lecture hall on the High Street for its meetings.[2] After both the old school and the lecture hall became inadequate for meetings, the local board and the Mechanics Institute decides to join together in an initiative to commission a proper town hall.[2] The site selected had previously be owned by a cloth merchant, William Starkey.[3]

Following a competition with more than 200 entries, and with a budget of £5,000, William Hill was chosen to design the building in the French Gothic style.[4] The foundation stone for the new building was laid on 10 May 1879.[2] It was built by the local builder, Richard Hogg, with two storeys and a two-stage clock tower at the centre of the main frontage.[1] Inside, the design featured offices on the ground floor and an assembly hall on the first floor.[1] It was officially opened by the banker and politician, William Beckett-Denison, on 26 June 1880.[2]

The town hall was the headquarters of Yeadon Urban District Council[5] but ceased to be the local seat of government when the enlarged Aireborough Urban District Council was formed, with its headquarters at Micklefield House in Rawdon, in 1937.[6] After Aireborough Urban District Council was abolished in 1972, responsibility for the management of the building was transferred to Leeds City Council in 1974.[7]

In 1980 the television producer, Barney Colehan, led a week of festivities to celebrate the centenary of the original opening of the building.[2]

The building was used as a registrar's office in the Yorkshire Television programme The Beiderbecke Tapes in 1985.[8] The main assembly hall, which seats up to 560 people, was renovated in 1999.[9]

On 1 April 2019, the management of the venue was taken over by local theatre producer, Jamie Hudson, who created a "Community Interest Company" in order to restore, refurbish and manage the building. Large portions of the building were refurbished and the theatre bar on the first floor was extensively restored.[10] The town hall continues to host touring music and theatre shows[11] although the highlight of the year is usually the Christmas Spectacular.[12]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c Historic England. "Town Hall, Yeadon (1204098)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 12 September 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Lovedale, Christine. "Yeadon Town Hall 1800 - 2014". Aireborough Historical Society. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  3. ^ Lovedale, Christine. "William Starkey 1801-1879". Aireborough Historical Society. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  4. ^ Price, Roy (June 1980). A History of Yeadon. Yeadon: Maple-Bowes.
  5. ^ "Yeadon Urban District Council, building plans, 1923-1937". National Archives. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  6. ^ "Aireborough Council (First) 1937". Aireborough Historical Society. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  7. ^ Local Government Act 1972. 1972 c.70. The Stationery Office Ltd. 1997. ISBN 0-10-547072-4.
  8. ^ "The Beiderbecke Affair (1985)". IMDB. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  9. ^ "Yeadon Town Hall". Leeds, Live it, Love it. Archived from the original on 5 January 2010. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  10. ^ "Community take over set to bring Yeadon Town Hall back to life". Yorkshire Evening Post. 2 April 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  11. ^ "Yeadon Town Hall". Welcome to Yorkshire. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  12. ^ "Christmas Spectacular at Yeadon Town Hall". Wharfedale and Craven Mumbler. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
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