1873 – Premises, Boar Lane, Leeds, Yorkshire

Architect: Thomas Ambler

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From The Building News, December 19 1873: “This illustration represents one of tho new shops in the reconstruction of Boar-lane, in Leeds. The widening of this street has caused a considerable advance in the value of property having frontages to the new street, and as much as £60 per yard has been paid for a corner site. The purchaser of this site having felt the importance of utilising every inch of land, insisted upon his architect not covering more than six inches with his outer walls ; this instruction naturally led the architect to consider how tho building could be treated so as to comply with tho instructions and at the same time to present an attractive appearance, and our illustration will best explain the means adopted. The front is divided into bays by means of cast-iron story-posts six inches square, bolted together with L angle-irons bolted to them at each floorlevel to receive the floor-joists, which are again bolted and secured to the L-iron by means of angle-irons, and tho bays are filled in with wood framing, the details being carefully arranged so as to make the whole perfectly water and airtight. The whole of the windows are filled in with plate-glass, and the tracery-heads with stained glass, studded with bullions. Where much light and window space are required for the purpose of showing goods, this is an excellent method of construction. In order to relieve the front, and to give light and shade, the balcony is thrown out, and supported by ornamental cast-iron brackets resting upon, and bolted to, the story posts. The construction is inexpensive ; and this building affords a good illustration of tho means of applying iron in the erection of buildings to meet tho requirements of the present day. Mr. Thomas Ambler, of Leeds, is the architect.”

Published May 17, 2013 | Last Updated February 11, 2014