Town Hall, The Headrow, Leeds

Image: © Stephen Richards Taken: 18 Jun 2011

A magnificent statement of Victorian civic pride and wealth. Of the great northern town halls of this age, Leeds is unsurpassed among Classical buildings, and vies with Manchester's Gothic (Image]) for the overall title. The front has a mighty colonnade of giant Corinthian columns; the remainder of the ground floor has pilasters. All that is dominated by the 225-foot tower (not part of the original plan) embellished by its own colonnade on all four sides, and crowned by a concave-sided dome and cupola. It provides real vertical thrust to what would otherwise be a horizontal design. The listing refers to the variety of materials used: "millstone grit from approx 17 different quarries including Rawdon Hill (for carvings), Sturdy and Pool; Darley Dale stone from Derbyshire". The architect was competition winner, Cuthbert Brodrick, young and virtually unknown at the time. It was built 1852-58. Grade I listed. The building's original functions were ambitious. As well as "a mayoral suite, Council Chamber, accommodation for council officers, four courtrooms and accommodation for police", it was to provide "a hall capable of holding 8.000 people standing and with an orchestra", as well as ancillary buildings.

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