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.