Bowers Yard off Lower Briggate.

Bunkers, shelters and other buildings
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liits
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Post by liits »

Having gone back and checked the Licensing Register, the Whip was rebuilt in 1884.Looking at the 1850 map of the area and comparing it with the 1891 map the Whip was originally located only in Bowers Yard and having checked the trade directories for the period up to 1881, it is only ever addressed as Bowers Yard.In 1879, the owner of the premises is one Richard Walter Bellhouse, who had previously been tenant of the [original] Bridgfield Hotel at South Accom.In 1883 the original premises are granted permission to rebuild and the new premises are opened on the 21st August 1884. Located in both Bowers Yard & Hirst’s Yard. From 1886, the trade directories record the address as such. The building now encompasses the area of the building which stood behind it. This has become the entrance that still exists.Richard Walter Bellhouse is the brother of Alfred Bellhouse, who was owner of the Adelphi and who also had that pub rebuilt from its original form. After his stint at the Whip, Richard went on to the Druid’s Head, Wortley Lane [1896 – 1899] and then the on to the Grapes Hotel at Lower Town Street, Bramley [1899 – 1901] where he died.Along with the new buildings fronting onto Duncan Street and Boar Lane , the new premises of the Whip were designed by Thomas Ambler, who was also responsible for the Griffin Hotel, and St Paul’s House.

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Leodian
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Post by Leodian »

Thanks liits for that fascinating information.
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finnon
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Post by finnon »

hi Leodian,i work at smokestack which makes use of the yard as a shared bin area - i've long wondered about its past.to shed a little further light...but also deepen the mystery i suppose...the stairs leading down that you photographed lead to an underground street that stretches back out towards the road on briggate where it is abruptly bricked off. theres a set of stairs on each side of the yard that join in the middle in a fork - with a small square room towards the back of the yard.from what i've been told the yard used to stretch through to Call Lane before Mook built the extension that creates the cul-de-sac.

mark1978
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Post by mark1978 »

Possibly apocryphal tale: The Whip was used as a meeting place by Nazi sypmathisers in the mid 20th century, and this only became apparent when they were doing it out when it became Mook, and they knocked through to a hidden room full of Nazi memorabilia.

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cnosni
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Post by cnosni »

mark1978 wrote: Possibly apocryphal tale: The Whip was used as a meeting place by Nazi sypmathisers in the mid 20th century, and this only became apparent when they were doing it out when it became Mook, and they knocked through to a hidden room full of Nazi memorabilia. Was there an old Irish Catholic priest sat in anm armchair as well??
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Leodian
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Post by Leodian »

finnon wrote: hi Leodian,i work at smokestack which makes use of the yard as a shared bin area - i've long wondered about its past.to shed a little further light...but also deepen the mystery i suppose...the stairs leading down that you photographed lead to an underground street that stretches back out towards the road on briggate where it is abruptly bricked off. theres a set of stairs on each side of the yard that join in the middle in a fork - with a small square room towards the back of the yard.from what i've been told the yard used to stretch through to Call Lane before Mook built the extension that creates the cul-de-sac. Thanks finnon. That about the stairs is most intriguing. There are many stairs that go below street level in buildings in Leeds and I've often wondered what is behind the door, or bricked-off door, at the bottom. In many cases the stairs look like they are not in use and are often full of litter. I'm usually too worried though about possible security concerns (i.e. getting arrested for trespassing) where there are stairs to actually go down and see if a door is open! The very few that I've ever tried have always been locked!
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Leodian
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Post by Leodian »

cnosni wrote: mark1978 wrote: Possibly apocryphal tale: The Whip was used as a meeting place by Nazi sypmathisers in the mid 20th century, and this only became apparent when they were doing it out when it became Mook, and they knocked through to a hidden room full of Nazi memorabilia. Was there an old Irish Catholic priest sat in anm armchair as well?? That made me . Drink, drink, drink... plus expletive deleted.
A rainbow is a ribbon that Nature puts on when she washes her hair.

sujay
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Post by sujay »

My memory of The Whip is from the seventies, there used to be a weekly folk night in the room upstairs. I think the pub itself was for men only!

edlong
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Post by edlong »

Leodian wrote: I'm usually too worried though about possible security concerns (i.e. getting arrested for trespassing) You won't be arrested for trespassing. You might get asked to leave (but only by the landowner or their agent).

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Leodian
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Re: Bowers Yard off Lower Briggate.

Post by Leodian »

Passing by the Bowers Yard entry/exit on December 11 2018 I noticed that the normally locked gate was open so (hoping not to get locked in!) I went into Bowers Yard. I took some photos there (which started this thread) on July 11 2013 but as some of them (at least on my computer) are now corrupted I thought I would post some photos that I took on December 11 2018. The 3 in this post are street level views. As there is a limit of 3 photos in one post I shall put in my next post 3 photos that I took at roof level.
EntryExitBowersYardOnLowerBriggateLeedsDec112018..jpg
EntryExitBowersYardOnLowerBriggateLeedsDec112018..jpg (111.78 KiB) Viewed 3377 times
BowersYardEntryFromLowerBriggateLeedsDec112018..jpg
BowersYardEntryFromLowerBriggateLeedsDec112018..jpg (100.88 KiB) Viewed 3377 times
StreetLevelViewInBowersYardLowerBriggateLeedsDec112018..jpg
StreetLevelViewInBowersYardLowerBriggateLeedsDec112018..jpg (140.1 KiB) Viewed 3377 times
A rainbow is a ribbon that Nature puts on when she washes her hair.

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