Leeds Heritage Pubs

Out of approximately 650 pubs in the Leeds Metropolitan District there are now only 21 that can be said to retain any degree of original interiors. Public houses have suffered from conversion and alterations in varying degrees over many years, often ruining fine original interiors for short term fashion reasons. However the numbers that survive are good examples of British traditional pubs.

There are a number of pubs in the city that are Statutorily Listed, however by no means all have anything like there original interiors. Up to the mid 1990’s pubs tended to be listed as buildings in a streetscape rather than a particular type of building, or for any surviving interior and few past 1875. The Skyrack in Headingley for example is listed but has been altered countless times inside and is merely a facade. From around 1994 English Heritage with advice from CAMRA began to take an interest in the interiors for the first time. This resulted in a number of pubs with fine unspoilt interiors being listed, which had hitherto been missed.

Throughout the country CAMRA has identified the surviving important pub interiors. These have been compiled into a “National Inventory” (NI) of historic pub interiors. Other pubs which have seen some alteration but still retain important heritage interiors form the “Regional Inventory” (RI), currently being compiled for regions across the UK.

Full details of all the NI heritage pubs in the UK can be found on the CAMRA heritage pub website.

Important Historic Pubs in Leeds

Leeds is fortunate in having six pubs in the National Inventory, more than many other areas. These tend to be from the age of Leeds’s great expansion and also of pub building, the late Victorian and Edwardian era. There is also a fine example of inter-war design.

N.I. Pubs

ADELPHI, 3-5 Hunslet Rd., Leeds Bridge, Leeds LS10 1JQ
Built in 1901 and designed by Thomas Winn (see also Cardigan Arms and Rising Sun). An ornate multi-roomed pub with fine etched glass, Mahogany screens and Terrazzo floors.

BEECH, 8 Tong Rd., Lower Wortley, Leeds LS12 1HX.
Designer by Garside and Pennington for Melbourne Brewery of Leeds in 1931, when the existing pub was rebuilt and enlarged. The pub has a fine little altered interior (as well as exterior) of the period.

CARDIGAN ARMS, 364 Kirkstall Rd., Burley, Leeds LS4 2HQ. (Corner of Greenhow Rd. Opposite retail park)
Designed by Thomas Winn and erected in 1896 for a private owner. The pub largely retains it’s Victorian interior of multi-roomed layout with original glass, tiling and wood screens. The remains of the pub’s former tower brewery still exist at the rear.

GARDEN GATE, 3 Whitfield Place, Hunslet, Leeds LS10 2QB
Purpose built in 1902 for a private owner and designed by W. Mason Coggill, a Stourton Architect. Possibly the finest surviving pub in Leeds, this pub has magnificent original faience, tiling, etched glass and Mahogany screens. Saved from demolition in 1972.

RISING SUN, 290 Kirkstall Rd., Burley, Leeds LS4 2DN. (Near the Cardigan Arms)
Designed in 1899 also by Thomas Winn and purpose built for Melbourne Brewery. It is less flamboyant than other pubs of the period but has original fittings of fine glass and wood screening.

WHITELOCKS, Turks Head Yard, Briggate, Leeds LS1 6HB.
Probably the most famous Leeds pub. Owned by the Whitelock family since around 1880, the pub was extended and re-modelled in 1895 and the interior has changed little since then. The pub has a fine ceramic bar, old woodwork and brewery mirrors creating an atmospheric traditional bar.

Other Heritage Pubs

Leeds has a further fifteen pubs that have substantially original interiors, although have seen some alteration (In the Yorkshire Regional Inventory). These range from Edwardian locals (e.g. Kings Arms, Holbeck 1901) through inter-war re-fits (e.g. Grove, Holbeck 1929 or Templar, Vicar Lane 1927) to war time pubs (e.g. Hanover, Wortley 1942) and unspoilt country pubs (e.g. Swan, Bramham c. late 19C). In Gildersome The New Inn (1935) is a fine mostly original Moderne style pub. The City Varieties, Leeds, contains a small bar (Stalls Bar) which has original fittings from 1951, but sadly could be removed in a forthcoming theatre restoration, watch this space.

The Regional Inventory of heritage pubs in Yorkshire is currently being finalised, a provisional list is presently out for consultation. The full provisional list for Yorkshire can be viewed on the special Yorkshire RI website.

The list for the Leeds Metropolitan District contains 18 pubs, in addition to the 6 NI pubs.

Yorkshire Regional Inventory for Leeds
Provisional List

ALBION, 86 Armley Rd., LEEDS LS12 2EJ

CHEQUERS, Claypit Lane, LEDSHAM LS25 5LP

CITY VARIETIES STALLS BAR, Swan St., LEEDS LS1 6LW

GAPING GOOSE, 41 Selby Rd., GARFORTH LS25 1LR

GREY HORSE, Long Row, HORSFORTH LS18 5AA

GROVE, Back Row, Holbeck, LEEDS LS115PL

HANOVER ARMS, 65 Lower Wortley Rd., Upper Wortley, LEEDS LS12 4SL

KING’S ARMS, 21 Stocks Hill, Holbeck, LEEDS LS11 9PB

PACK HORSE, 208 Woodhouse Lane, University, LEEDS LS2 9DX

PROSPECT, 93 Moor Rd, Hunslet, LEEDS LS10 1JJ

ROYAL, 30 Station St., PUDSEY LS28 8PR

SWAN INN, Town Hill, BRAMHAM LS23 6QQ

TEMPLAR, 2 Templar St., LEEDS LS2 7NU

WHITE HORSE, 2 Hough Side Rd., PUDSEY LS28 9BR

WHITE STAG, Whitelock St./North St., Sheepscar, LEEDS LS7 1AL

Three other pubs are being considered -

FENTON, 161 Woodhouse Lane, University, LEEDS LS2 3ED

FLEECE, Westgate, OTLEY LS21 3DT

NEW INN, Church St., GILDERSOME LS27 7AE

Details of all these pubs and heritage pubs throughout Yorkshire will be contained in the forthcoming “Yorkshire Regional Inventory, Yorkshire’s True Heritage Pubs.” This booklet will be published during 2010.

Pubs in Peril

White Stag
North St., Sheepscar, Leeds LS7 1AL

The application to demolish this pub and re-develop the site as a cash and carry warehouse has unfortunately now been passed. (P/09/01283/FU/C, passed June 2009).

This is another traditional pub which will be lost in Leeds.

This pub on the Regional Inventory, was built in 1932 for Tetley’s Brewery of Leeds and designed by Kitson, Parish, Legard and Pyman. The interior although simple in design has not been greatly altered since the 1930s and is in largely original condition. Today this is a rare survivor.

CAMRA had also submitted the White stag for listing by English Heritage because of its Regional Inventory status. Unfortunately English Heritage have recently decided the pub is not to be listed.

These are disappointing decisions in the fight to conserve R.I. pubs.

The Spring Close Tavern
Spring Close St, Ellerby Lane, Cross Green, LEEDS LS9 8RT

This small cosy traditional pub is currently under threat from a scheme to demolish the pub and redevelop the site with flats. A much loved Cross Green community pub, The Spring Close has in past years appeared several times in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide although sadly the pub currently does not offer real ale.

CAMRA feel that The Spring Close should be retained as a fine community pub and not join the list of pub closures in Cross Green.

A first application in 2008 was withdrawn but in 2009 a new application was made

CAMRA opposed this application by Punch Taverns.

Planning Application No. – 08/06527/FU/E

Regrettably this application has now been passed, so this pub will now be re-developed as flats. Closure is not expected to be imminent, so why not pay the pub a visit and hopefully we can save this outlet.

Summercross
East Busk Lane, Otley LS21 1HE

This pub was abruptly closed in October 2007 for re-development. The original scheme to build flats was rejected but a later plan to build a care home was regrettably passed in February 2009. (08/06122/FU).

Despite a continued fight by the “Save our Summercross” campaign and CAMRA, supported by Otley Council and many local residents, the Planners still passed the scheme.

Little value seems to be given to local community pubs.

All plans can be viewed at-

Planning services
Leonardo Building
2 Rossington St
LEEDS LS1 8HD

or online at Leeds City Council Planning Applications.

The Save Our Summercross (SOS) campaign have a fine website.

Please check this site for details.

Woolpack
Bondgate, Otley
This pub is currently closed and for sale by Enterprise Inns. We can only hope that the new owners will continue to run the business as a traditional real ale pub.

Closed Summercross Receives Award [Jan2008]

On Friday lunchtime, 25th January the Summercross pub on East Busk Lane, Cross Green, Otley was finally presented with the award it won in 2007 as “most improved pub”. Since the award was voted in spring events have intervened. The landlord was given notice to leave and the pub has remained boarded up ever since, so the normal presentation of the award could not be made.

It was decided however that the award should still be presented as the pub is currently under threat from demolition and property development. The award demonstrates that the pub was vital, developing and regularly used by the local and wider community. The landlord had done a fine job building up the trade again after a previous period of closure. The pub was well run offering a selection of fine real ales and it provided a popular community leisure asset in a part of Otley with no other pubs.

The award was accepted from John Thornton, Leeds CAMRA Pubs Officer, by Shirley Lewis Chairman of SOS (save our Summmercross), outside the boarded up pub. As well as other members of CAMRA the event was attended by Greg Mulholland, MP for Leeds North West, and an official from the British Institute of Innkeepers. Directors of the developers Chartford Homes were also present.

Summercross -SOS [10 Dec 2007]

Leeds CAMRA accepts that pubs are always going to close and for various reasons, drinking habits change, pub styles fall out of fashion or areas become less densely populated with either business or houses.
But what we don’t accept is the closure of pubs for short term monetary gain as with the Summercross in Otley, for here was a pub which appeared to be thriving. The Summercross was a vibrant community pub popular with all ages and well loved by many: witness the number of people signing the petition to keep it open. It supported local musicians, local breweries and local people. At the Otley Beer festival a couple of weeks ago it was certainly one of the topics of conversation amongst staff and customers. The closure of the Summercross is of particular concern as it shows that any pub in a nice location and particularly with a bit of land is not safe from the developers’ bulldozers. It appears that the battle to save our pub heritage has taken another turn, not only must we say “use or lose it”, now we need to use it and be prepared to fight for it.

To support the Save our Summercross campaign, please visit: http://www.5elmt.f2s.com/.