Leeds | Postcards From Here and There

Northern Monk Leeds

The Northern Monk brewery and taproom is located in Holbeck, south west of the city centre and a short 15 minute walk from Leeds City Station. It is located in an old flax store and mill which makes an interesting change from brewery taps in industrial units and railway arches. The building itself is not only characterful but is grade II listed and is a reminder of this areas significant contribution to the importance and wealth of the city in the nineteenth century.

The original brewery opened in 2014 and is located on the ground floor. It no longer has the capacity of production required so in 2017 a new brewery was opened which now means that they can brew a significant number of different beers between the two sites at the same time. It is possible to tour the flax store brewery with tours conducted at 1.30 and 3.30 each Saturday afternoon. Tours cost £10 and involve a 45 minute tour including three tasting samples. It is probably advisable to book tours in advance via the company website.

The Refectory tap room is located on the first floor and they have created a welcoming space with plenty of seating and adequate table space. At the time of my visit there were 16 keg lines serving a good range of styles of beer. Food is also available and prices seem very reasonable. The second floor consists of the Chapter Hall which is available for private hire/functions. They have also created an outdoor beer garden for those special days when it is possible to drink beer outside. The Refectory and beer garden are open everyday except Monday.

I have long admired the beers of Northern Monk. Their beers are always innovative, superbly well crafted and very drinkable. They don’t ever stand still for very long as they are continually looking for ways to move forward with their brews and packaging. The Patrons Project was founded to explore the possibilities of collaboration to further seek ou creativity and excellence. Each release, there have been 17 so far, consists of 7 beers with specially commissioned artwork. You can catch up and find out more about the collaborations here.

Eternal. Session IPA. 4.4%. Yellow gold in colour with a slight haze and a thin white head. Aromas of lemon, malt, orange and pine. Low-medium bitterness with nice carbonation. Crisp and dry with a touch of bitter orange on the finish.

Faith. Pale Ale. 5.1%. Yellow and hazy with a good white head. Aromas of tropical mango, orange and malt. Low bitterness and gentle carbonation. Palate is tropical with a good dash of orange. Nicely balanced.

Neopolitan. Ice Cream Pale. 6%. Neopolitan ice cream was a staple of Sunday afternoon tea as I grew up. This beer is a collaboration I believe with Little Leeds Beerhouse. It’s light amber, hazy and with a thin white head. Strawberry with a hint of vanilla on the nose just as it should be. Low bitterness, gentle carbonation and a nice texture. This really does taste like Neapolitan ice cream with a lovely light chocolate on the finish.

Doom Stooge. Fruited IPA. 7.2%. Orange/yellow, murky with a very thin off white head and some lacing. Low bitterness, soft carbonation and a slightly creamy texture. Not sure about this one, not unpleasant with a whole range of flavours; red fruits, peach, apricot, plum and a hint of floral.

Seismic Shift. DDH IPA. 8.5%. Part of the Patrons Project series 13 release when in can. Yellow, decidedly murky with thinnish white head. Aromas of mango, pineapple and orange. Low bitterness, nice carbonation and great texture. There is sweetness on the palate, which is dominated by tropical fruit and orange, but it is not overly sweet.

Glory. Triple IPA. 10.5%. Yellow, hazy with a white head. Complex aromas of pineapple, mango, banana and passion fruit. The palate has low bitterness, gentle carbonation and great mouthfeel. Flavours are topical with a hint of orange on the finish.

Leeds’s Victorian Arcades

On a recent visit to Melbourne I was struck by the Block and Royal Arcades in the Central Business District and how similar they were to the arcades found in Leeds. Both cities built their arcades in late nineteenth century with the Royal Arcade in Melbourne the oldest dating back to 1870, but it seems unlikely one influenced the other. Perhaps arcade building was simply very fashionable in late Victorian times. The Burlington Arcade in London’s Piccadilly is certainly much older, dating back to 1819. What is clear is that these shopping arcades were the shopping centres of their day and are a must see on a visit to the city.

In Leeds there are three surviving arcades from the Victorian period. Although they had lost much of their splendour by the mid twentieth century, programmes of restoration have brought them back to life. They are home to an eclectic mix of retail units and cafes and include an excellent range of independent retailers.

THORNTON’S ARCADE

Thornton’s Arcade was the first to built in the city. Commissioned by Charles Thornton and designed by George Smith it opened in 1878 and connected Briggate with Lands Lane. It provided a pleasant covered walkway for shoppers, replacing the alley and yard that existed beforehand.

The clock in Thornton’s Arcade is based on Walter Scotts novel Ivanhoe and features several of the characters including Robin Hood and Friar Tuck. The clock itself was made by Potts and Sons who were local clockmakers of the day. The characters were carved by a John Appleyard.

QUEEN’S ARCADE

Running parallel to Thornton’s Arcade, Queen’s was designed by Edward Clarke and opened in 1889. As they are today it looks the most modern, partly because it has been repainted in pastel colours, it has a glass roof and this gives it a light and airy aspect.

COUNTY ARCADE

The most elaborate of the Victorian arcades and restored in the early 1990s to the wonder that you see today. Designed by Frank Matcham, who was actually a theatre designer, it opened in 1900 . It is on the opposite side of Briggate and leads to Vicar Lane and the nearby Leeds Market.

Highly decorated with intricate ironwork, marble and fine mosaics it was fully restored as part of the Victoria Quarter development in the early 1990s.

Cross Arcade is very short and runs from the middle of County Arcade out to Queen Victoria Street which in the original design was a traditional shopping street.

In the development of The Victoria Quarter Queen Victoria Street became a modern arcade with the construction of an ornate stained glass roof.

It makes an interesting contrast to its Victorian neighbour and the restoration of the shop fronts is no less ornate.

The Victoria Quarter has become a high end shopping destination, it is a lovely mix of the old and the new and great place to wander around.

Tour de Yorkshire in Leeds

On 5th July 2014 198 professional bike riders lined up on The Headrow ,close to Leeds Town Hall, for the start of stage 1 0f the Tour de France. So began Yorkshires love affair with cycling. Hundreds of thousands of people lined the roads for the two days the event was in Gods own country and their enthusiasm and support surprised both organisers and riders alike. Villages and town en route had spent weeks preparing, yellow painted bikes were everywhere, the bunting was out and cycling related art installations were in the fields. Travelling the route today some of the yellow bikes are still there. It led to the race director Christian Prudhomme describing it as “the grandest of Grand Departs.”

The following year The Tour de Yorkshire began as a three day legacy event and attracted some of the top world professional teams and the support from the people of the county was no less enthusiastic. Now in its fourth year it has been extended to a four day stage race for men and a two day race for women. The final stage of the mens raced finished back in Leeds, only a few metres from the start line of the 2014 Tour. In many ways cycling in Yorkshire has come full circle.

It has been estimated that over 2.5 million people watched the 2018 race during its four day duration. The crowds at the finish were loud and vocal hours before the riders arrived as they gave support to the hundreds of amateur cyclists that had completed the Maserati Tour De Yorkshire sportive.

Huge screens enabled spectators to watch the race as it developed over the roads of west Yorkshire. The arrival of the publicity caravan an hour before the riders added to the already great atmosphere on the finish line.

The final stage was won by Stephane Rossetto who broke away from the main peloton early in the stage and rode for 120Km on his own to claim victory. He had built up a lead of over nine minutes during the stage but this as gradually whittled down and he crossed the finish line with only 34 seconds to spare.

The overall race was one by Greg Van Avermaet who finished second on the stage

As the 2018 tour comes to an end we hear that discussions are underway to bring the Vuelta (Tour of Spain) to Yorkshire. I am sure that this is an excellent move for both parties. Fingers crossed and lets hope that it happens soon.