Interesting shaped structure on a building at Briggate/Commercial Street junction.

Bunkers, shelters and other buildings
Post Reply
User avatar
Leodian
Posts: 6478
Joined: Thu 10 Jun, 2010 8:03 am

Interesting shaped structure on a building at Briggate/Commercial Street junction.

Post by Leodian »

There is an interestingly shaped flat top looking structure on the top of a building at the junction of Briggate and Commercial Street that is currently a Carphone Warehouse store. I've noticed the structure for a long time but I've only finally got round to taking some photos and these are 2 that I took on July 26 2016.
BriggateWithCommercialStreetOnRightJuly262016.jpg
BriggateWithCommercialStreetOnRightJuly262016.jpg (105.97 KiB) Viewed 2818 times
BriggateWithCommercialSteetJustToRightJuly262016.jpg
BriggateWithCommercialSteetJustToRightJuly262016.jpg (106 KiB) Viewed 2818 times
Being intrigued I had a look through the Leodis photo archive and to my surprise I found that there used to be a small 'spire' on top of the current structure. The spire is seen in a photo dated 16 March 1938 and is still there in one dated 18 January 1953 but it is not there in one dated 19 July 1956. I wonder why it was removed? Does anyone recall the spire?

These are links to the 3 Leodis photos:-

http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... SPLAY=FULL
http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... SPLAY=FULL
http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... SPLAY=FULL
A rainbow is a ribbon that Nature puts on when she washes her hair.

User avatar
Steve Jones
Posts: 1516
Joined: Fri 18 Jan, 2008 2:41 pm
Location: Wakefield

Re: Interesting shaped structure on a building at Briggate/Commercial Street junction.

Post by Steve Jones »

Just a long shot but could it have been a Time ball?
used to be quite a few where the ball raised to the top of a pole and then dropped at noon or another significant time.
Steve JonesI don't know everything, I just like to give that impression!

User avatar
Leodian
Posts: 6478
Joined: Thu 10 Jun, 2010 8:03 am

Re: Interesting shaped structure on a building at Briggate/Commercial Street junction.

Post by Leodian »

Steve Jones wrote:Just a long shot but could it have been a Time ball?
used to be quite a few where the ball raised to the top of a pole and then dropped at noon or another significant time.
Hi Steve :).

I like that suggestion as it does seem a possibility. I have now come across a photo in Leodis that I did not seem to find in my original search for whatever reason. It shows a better view of the structure photographed on 16 March 1938 but it sadly misses the top of an object on the very top of the structure. This is the link to the photo:- http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... SPLAY=FULL
A rainbow is a ribbon that Nature puts on when she washes her hair.

warringtonrhino
Posts: 477
Joined: Sat 18 Feb, 2012 2:31 pm

Re: Interesting shaped structure on a building at Briggate/Commercial Street junction.

Post by warringtonrhino »

I appreciate that an oil panting is not as accurate as a photograph but these might help resolve ( or confuse) the issue.
Attachments
003.jpg
003.jpg (50.99 KiB) Viewed 2673 times
001.jpg
001.jpg (40.78 KiB) Viewed 2673 times
004.jpg
004.jpg (38.18 KiB) Viewed 2673 times

Gars28
Posts: 23
Joined: Thu 10 Mar, 2016 3:52 pm

Re: Interesting shaped structure on a building at Briggate/Commercial Street junction.

Post by Gars28 »

While on the subject of structures on the top of buildings does anyone know the purpose of this on the Metropole hotel? It appears to be built in stone above the terracotta frontage of the hotel and has always stood out to me.
Attachments
image.png
image.png (1.14 MiB) Viewed 2635 times

dogduke
Posts: 1402
Joined: Thu 03 Jan, 2008 6:47 am

Re: Interesting shaped structure on a building at Briggate/Commercial Street junction.

Post by dogduke »

According to Wikipedia
The structure/cupola was atop the 4th white cloth hall which
occupied the site between 1868-1895.
Consciousness: That annoying time between naps.90% of being smart is knowing what you're dumb at.

Post Reply