Yeadon Town Hall

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

Yeadon Town Hall
Yeadon Town Hall in June 2018
LocationYeadon
Coordinates53°51′58″N 1°41′06″W
Built1880
ArchitectWilliam Hill
Architectural style(s)French Gothic style
Listed Building – Grade II
Designated7 April 1988
Reference no.1204098
Shown in West Yorkshire

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]

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References
  1. Historic England. "Town Hall, Yeadon (1204098)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 12 September 2012.
  2. 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. 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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