Briggate, Leeds

Shoppers on Briggate, Leeds

Briggate is one of the pedestrianised principal shopping streets in central Leeds, England. Most of Leeds' department stores are on Briggate, including the Harvey Nichols branch. It is home to a number of major high street retailers as well as banks, restaurants and cafes. Recently there have been some residential developments above the shops. The street is known for the old alleyways that branch off it and are home to a number of public houses such as Whitelocks that have changed little over the years. Other pubs include The Ship, The Packhorse and The Angel Inn. Originally, the back entrances to these alleyways were called 'low ins', or 'loins', which is where the term Loiner (a resident of Leeds) is suspected to originate from. It refers to the people who would 'hang around in the loins'.

The northern non-pedestrianised part of Briggate between The Headrow and Merrion Street is known as New Briggate and is home to some small retailers, bars, pubs, nightclubs, takeaways and the Grand Theatre. There is also a non-pedestrianised stretch of Briggate on the south side between Boar Lane and Call Lane known as Lower Briggate. It was home to Dysons Chambers, the Jobcentre Plus office (before it closed), restaurants, small shops, bars, pubs and a small gay enclave. In 2007, Briggate was decorated in lights to celebrate its 800th birthday.

History

Trams on Briggate around 1950

The Briggate Skyscraper plan from 1938

It is one of the oldest streets in the city of Leeds and was founded in 1207 when the road began on the north side of the Leeds Bridge over the River Aire. The name 'Briggate' derives from 'the road to the bridge'.

There was a Moot Hall in the centre of Briggate, which was built in 1615 as a courthouse, but it was pulled down in 1825. The statue of Queen Anne that adorned its front is now in the entrance hall of Leeds Art Gallery.

During the English Civil War a pitched battle was fought for the control of Leeds along the length of Briggate. The Battle of Leeds on 23 January 1643 saw a Parliamentarian force under Sir Thomas Fairfax take the town from the Royalist forces of Sir William Savile. Fairfax lead his troops in an attack on a ditch and rampart the Royalists had dug running parallel to Briggate from St John's Church all the way down to the Aire, while a simultaneous attack took place on Leeds Bridge.

It was at Leeds Bridge in 1888 that Louis Le Prince filmed some of the worlds first moving pictures.

It was built to be extraordinarily wide so that it could host a market, although this was later moved to a new building on Vicar Lane, Kirkgate Market, that still exists as the City Markets today.

Briggate was originally the main north-south thoroughfare in Leeds from where the city grew. Trams ran along the street until the 1950s when the Leeds Tramway closed. For many years the street was open to traffic but it was gradually pedestrianised - in 1993, only public transport vehicles were allowed to use the street, and in 1996 it was closed altogether to all except pedestrian traffic. This was done to attract new retailers to the street and to encourage more shoppers. In phases from 2004 to 2006, Briggate was properly pedestrianised with paving in York Stone, removing the roadway and pavements that remained. It was the first phase of a wider repaving scheme across the city centre that is ongoing.

In 1938, an art deco skyscraper was proposed for Briggate but never built due to the outbreak of the Second World War. The tower would have been around 25 storeys high and had a large art deco motif on top. There were never any plans to resurrect the scheme.

Arcades

Victoria Quarter spans between Briggate and Vicar Lane.

Leeds is famous for its arcades that principally stem from Briggate. There are some modern 1970s arcades on the southern end of Briggate, some of which are under demolition, although the arcades of architectural significance are centred around the northern end of Briggate, which is typically the more expensive end of the street.

• Grand Arcade was built by New Briggate Arcade Company Ltd in 1897, with Smith & Tweedal as architects. It is home to a number of small, independent retailers on the non-pedestrianised New Briggate.
• Thorntons Arcade was completed in May 1878 and designed by Charles Fowler, a Leeds architect. William Potts and Son designed and made a clock with four life size figures that stands above the western exit onto Lands Lane.
• Queens Arcade was opened in 1889, named after Queen Victoria. The Briggate entrance was enlarged in 1895. It is particularly light and airy, and tenants are largely designer or upper-class novelty shops similar to those found on London's Carnaby Street.
• County Arcade was completed in 1903 and is particularly grand when compared to the other arcades. Featuring marble floors, intricate stonework and elegant iron domes, it makes up part of the modern day Victoria Quarter complex. The architect was Frank Matcham.
• Queen Victoria Street has been arcaded since 1990. The largest expanse of stained glass in Europe was designed by Brian Clark and provides an impressive covering. It is also part of the larger Victoria Quarter, and is linked to County Arcade by Cross Arcade which is of the same design as County Arcade.

Developments

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the run-down County and Cross Arcades, and Queen Victoria Street, were redeveloped to create the Victoria Quarter, which included arcading Queen Victoria Street. It was originally intended to be a centre for independent retailers, but its excellence in design has led to it becoming a centre for designer brands.

Following the Victoria Quarter developments, the Empire Palace was demolished to make way for the glass-fronted flagship Harvey Nichols department store that now characterises the street.

In 2004, transformation started on the Grand Theatre on New Briggate. The project will give an enlarged and higher quality home to Opera North, as well as regenerating New Briggate.

In 2008, demolition work started on the 1970s Burton Arcade at the southern end of Briggate to make way for the Trinity Quarter. Marks and Spencer and Topshop will be enlarged as part of the project, which will open in 2010.

As of 2008, Market Street Arcade which faces the Burton Arcade at the southern end of Briggate and leading to Central Road was closed to make way for a redeveloped arcade with an extra level, glass roof and new tenants. Hoarding on the current development suggests this arcade is to be renamed 'Central Arcade' with an opening date of Spring 2011.

Cultural attractions

New Briggate

New Briggate hosts Leeds' Grand Theatre, famous for Opera North, an award-winning opera company based in the North of England. There is also the entrance to the churchyard of St John the Evangelist's Church, Leeds, built between 1632 and 1634, making it the oldest church in the city centre of Leeds. New Briggate was previously home to an Odeon cinema which has since closed and been redeveloped as a flagship Primark branch.

Briggate

The main stretch of Briggate is known mainly for retailing but at the northern end, up Swan Street, is the City Varieties, one of the UK's oldest Music Halls. The City Varieties was granted Heritage Lottery funds to help with major refurbishment and restoration, and the theatre closed for refurbishment in January 2009 and re-opened in September 2011. The site of Harvey Nichols was previously home to Frank Matcham's Empire Theatre before being demolished in the 1960s.

Current retailers on Briggate between The Headrow and Boar Lane

Harvey Nichols on Briggate. This was the second branch in the UK.

Former Borders Store on Briggate

Starbucks on Briggate

• Alliance & Leicester
• American Apparel
• Aspecto
• Bella Italia
• The Body Shop
• Burger King
• Burton
• Carphone Warehouse
• Currys.digital
• Debenhams
• Dorothy Perkins
• Fat Face
• Gap
• H&M
• Harvey Nichols
• H. Samuel
• House of Fraser
• Kookai
• Louis Vuitton
• Marks & Spencer
• McDonalds (two outlets)
• Muji
• Nando's
• O2
• Office
• Orange
• Schuh
• The Sofa Warehouse
• Sole
• Starbucks
• Topshop / Topman
• Ultimate Outdoors Outlet
• USC
• Vision Express
• Yorkshire Building Society
• Zara

External links

• Leodis Article on the history of Briggate
• A history of Briggate and Leeds