Historic Buildings and Monuments, from 1800 to 1901

1792 to 1800

The City Rooms, Hotel Street, City of Leicester

A fine example of Georgian architecture in the heart of the city, The City Rooms was designed by local architect John Johnson and the building was intended to be the city's first hotel.

The building was sold in 1799 with work still to be done, though it was completed in 1800 and was opened as the Leicester Assembly Rooms to accommodate visitors to the Leicester Races.

A grade I listed classical building, it comprises two-storeys in ashlar. The frontage boasts three large sash windows separated by Greek Ionic columns on the second storey, along with two classical sculptures of female musicians by John Charles Felix Rossi that are set in stone niches.

On the first storey are four more sash windows, with a classical style threshold underneath a stone parapet supported by columns that lies underneath the central window panel. The entire interior of the first storey comprises of a magnificent ballroom, decorated with various paintings by English artist Ramsay Richard Reinagle.

Just outside the building stands the Seamstress Statue by James Walter Butler RA, which was unveiled in 1990 to commemorate Leicester's association with the hosiery industry.

When the building passed to the County Justices in 1817, it became known as the County Rooms, then as the City Rooms when under ownership of the City Council. Now a banqueting venue and boutique hotel owned by Naresh and Sharon Parmar, The City Rooms adds a touch of class and elegance to the this area of the city.

Two classical sculptures of female musicians by John Charles Felix Rossi that are set in stone niches on the frontage of the City Rooms.

Sitting outside of the City Rooms is the statue of The Seamstress.

A plaque on the plinth reads: 'The Leicester Seamstress, James Butler, R.A., 1990.

This statue was re-installed on a new plinth by Councillor Patrick Kitterick as part of the City Development Project December 2007. The statue reflects the female contribution to the local hosiery industry.

Most hosiery employees were women, working in small workshops or at home.

1825

The Wesleyan Chapel in Bishop Street. This is on our Buildings of Worship page.

1836

New Walk Museum and Art Gallery, New Walk, City of Leicester

Providing the city with a centre of culture and learning for over 160 years, New Walk Museum was designed by the Roman Catholic architect J. A. Hansom, in 1836. He also gave his name to the Hamsom cab.

Once serving as a Nonconformist Proprietary School, the building fell into the hands of the Literary and Philosophical Society in 1849. It was from here that the museum evolved into the exhibition we know it today, inspiring such personalities as Richard Attenborough and brother Sir David Attenborough in their formative years.

The building is a classical Grade II listed and mimics the likes of an Athenian wonder, with its impressive tetrastyle portico and huge Tuscan columns. The museum contains a mixture of exhibitions ranging from Ancient Egypt to Geology and The Natural World, with a gallery of Fine Art that includes pieces by Francis Bacon.

There is also a permanent ground-floor exhibition displaying the fossils of a cetiosaur that was discovered in Rutland and a plesiosaur found in Barrow upon Soar. As admission to the museum is free (with the exception of special exhibition dates), it is highly recommended for families and students.

Information about the Leicester Museum and Art Gallery

1850

The Corn Exchange, Market Place, City of Leicester

Standing at the centre of Leicester's famous market (the largest covered market in Europe), The Corn Exchange is as important to its local patrons as it is to Leicester's mercantile history.

The first part, the ground floor was built in 1850 by local architect William Flint, the upper floor, 'Rialto Tower' and tower beingn added by architect F. W. Ordish in 1855.

An earlier building stood on this spot since the middle ages and was known as The Gainsborough.

It served a variety of functions including a goal, magistrates court and assembly rooms. Now owned by the British public house chain J D Wetherspoon, the lower section of the building once served as the city's Corn Exchange, hence the name.

The Corn Exchange is a Grade II* listed two-storey classical building, comprising of stuccoed brick and boasting a curious outer two-flight staircase that rises to a central entrance. The Victorian clock tower that is positioned centrally above the doorway forms the main feature of the building, rising high above the market area.

The Duke of Rutland Statue stands in the foreground of the building, as it is has done since its unveiling in 1852. This monument celebrates the 50th anniversary of John Henry Manners, the 5th Duke of Rutland, as Lord Lieutenant of the county.

As its spacious interior provides a great space for larger groups, The Corn Exchange is certainly worth a visit.

More information about the Corn Exchange

1868

Haymarket Memorial Clock Tower, City of Leicester

The Clock Tower is probably the most recognisable monument in the city, standing at the meeting point of Humberstone Gate, Belgrave Gate, Gallowtree Gate and Eastgates.

Built in 1868 to honour four local benefactors and designed by local architect Joseph Goddard, the tower has remained a popular meeting point ever since.

A Grade II listed building, the monument was built with Ketton stone and has a base of Mountsorrel granite.

The sculptures are of Portland stone and were crafted by a local mason Samuel Barfield; the clock itself being compliments of Guillet and Bland of Croydon.

The site originally housed an Assembly Room building, which was later divided as shops that were demolished in 1862.

Leicester City Council completed extensive restoration work on the tower in 2008 and repairs to the mechanisms were carried out in 2010 after the clock began losing time due to corrosion.

The four benefactors who are depicted on the tower are: Alderman Gabrial Newton (Mayor of Leicester in 1732, who dedicated much of his wealth to the construction of educational facilities in the town), Simon De Monfort (6th Earl of Leicester, who led the Barons' Rebellion against Henry III in the 13th century), William Wyggeston (a wealthy wool merchant and founder of Wyggeston's Hospital) and Sir Thomas White (founder of St. John's College Oxford and The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity).

The Clock Tower stands proudly in the heart of the city today, hopefully where it will remain for generations to come.

1872

The Old Midland Bank Building, Granby Street, City of Leicester

Originally on the site of The Three Crowns Hotel and Posting House, (built in 1726) which served as a retreat for those traveling the busy route between London and Manchester, for almost a century. The last stage coach left there in 1866.

This landmark building in Granby Street, is a wonderful example of Victorian Gothic architecture. The Three Crowns was demolished in 1867 to allow for the building of the new bank.

The building was designed by Joseph Goddard (with carvings by Samuel Barfield) and built between 1872 and 74, costing a total of £7,439 and opening for business in the year of its completion as The Leicestershire Banking Company headquarters. The Company was established in 1829 to finance Leicester's growing industries. Goddard has also worked on the Clock Tower and played an important role in the introduction of the gothic style to Leicester.

At this period of times there was conflict between classic and gothic styles of building.

Built in Red Brick with dressings of Portland Stone and rooves of Welsh Slate, it is a fine example of the French Gothic Revival style.

The building consists of two storeys plus a basement, with a magnificent double height banking hall complete with enormous hammer roof-beams.

There are a number of cross-mullion windows with a main arched window in the central porch-tower, along with some impressive French pavilion roofing. Goddard is also credited with the design of the Uppingham branch, Wellinborough branch, Ashby-de-la-Zouch branch, Loughborough branch, Nuneaton and Bedworth branches and the Peterborough branch.

The Granby Street frontage features stained glass windows and an astonishing level of detail, including the carvings of Leicester sculptor Samuel Barfield (1830 to 1887).

The Leicestershire Banking Company amalgamated with the Midland Bank in 1890, with all of its branches including Granby street becoming part of the bank's network.

A grade II* listed building in the French Gothic Revival style, comprising of red brick and Portland stone with an unusually positioned corner-porch.

1874

Leicester Town Hall, Town Hall Square, City of Leicester

Overlooking Town Hall Square on the site of the former Cattle Market, just off Granby Street, stands Leicester's Town Hall.

Built in the Queen Anne Style between 1874-1876 and designed by local architect Francis Hames, the building is largely characterised by its magnificent clock tower.

A grade II listed building, it was the first civic building in the country to be built in the Queen Anne Style. Comprising of red brick with yellow stone dressings, the facade is adorned with light carvings and white sash windows set in moulded stone architraves.

Opposite the main building is the Town Hall Square Fountain, unveiled in 1879 it was also designed by Hames and was constructed with painted cast iron and granite. The hall still contains the Council Chambers, along with the city's Register Office, Leicester Bike Park and various other meeting rooms.

A popular destination for kicking back on a warm day, the parkland around the square also makes a great place to relax and admire the surrounding buildings.

Information about Leicester's Town Hall from Wikipedia | The predecessor of the Town Hall in 1251

1875

Tyler's Shoe Warehouse, 29 Rutland Street

Still standing in Rutland Street on the corner of Colton Street, Tyler's Shoe Warehouse boasts Italianate designs.

It now stands empty but remains a testament to the height of the shoe industry in Leicester. This Grade II listed building is clad with buff coloured brick and stone dressings.

Before the end of the 18th century Leicester had only as many boot and shoemakers as served to supply the needs of the town. From about 1793 their numbers increased, owing to the demand for standardized boots for the army, but for the next 50 years the trade remained a small one.

During the mid nineteenth century there were important developments in shoe manufacturing machinery, including The Blake sewer which was not sold, but leased to the manufacturer, a distinctive feature of the industry. It is said that the machine was first introduced into Leicester by Stead & Simpson about 1858.

At its height, the Leicester boot and shoe industry manufactured more goods than were produced anywhere else in Britain. By 1871 the total number of workers employed in the industry at Leicester was about 11,000, exceeding the number at Northampton by about 1,000. Shoemaking was introduced as a means of broadening industrial employment in Leicester after the Napoleonic wars and to overcome serious unemployment in the hosiery industry. The rapid development of shoemaking and distribution in Leicester attracted a variety of associated trades, so that Leicester became the main source of production of shoe machinery and materials. Dr. David Holmes.

One course refers to it as "Dick's shoe factory". H.P. Tyler's firm was founded about 1861; by 1891 he had some 100 branches. We think that the Tyler building in Rutland Street was taken over by Freeman, Hardy and Willis.

The size of the boots and shoe industry lead to the emergence of trade unions, as we note in our entry on The Trades Hall in St. James Street. There were several disputes between the unions and the employers. In 1872 the Co-operative Wholesale Society began the production of boots and shoes in Leicester. They became major players in the industry along with Freeman Hardy & Willis (1876) and Stead & Simpson. In 1956, the British shoe corporation was formed and this has a massive factory in the Belgrave area of the city.

Find out more about the she industry in Leicester from The British United Shoe Machinery Company |

1876

Wyggeston Hospital Boys' School

Wyggestons' Hospital was founded in 1513. In some histories of Leicester it is referred to as the 'new' Hospital because Trinity Hospital, also in Leicester, was founded in 1331.

It was funded by the income from the Swannington estate, by wool merchant William Wyggeston (1472 - 1536) purchased in 1520. He was three times mayor of Leicester and is commemorated in stone on Leicester's Clock Tower (see above). On the Clock Tower he is referred to as "Wigston", suggesting he gave his name to the area south of the city centre, though some would believe that it was the area who gave him his name. A very early form of the name of the village was Wyginston.

His brother, Thomas Wyggeston, established a Grammar School. In letters patent in 1572 it was stated that the hospital should be for ever called 'Wyggeston's Hospital', and that the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster should appoint the Master and be a Visitor. By 1836 the Free Grammar School had ceased to function. A new school was founded but was dedicated to the Anglican persuasion, causing the non-conformists to set up a new institution in New Walk. A new hospital with a chapel dedicated to St. Ursula was erected in 1868.

Our photos shows the present building of the Wyggestons Hospital Boys' School, which opened in 1877 being then called The Wyggeston Hospital School. In more modern time this became the Wyggeston Collegiate Sixth Form and since 1996 has been known as Regent College. The present building became part of St. Martin's House, part of the Diocese of Leicester.

Wyggestons Hospital today | William Wyggeston | Wyggestons Hospital, The Duchy of Lancaster |

Conway Buildings, 1878, Grey Friars

A good example of late nineteenth century Gothic style building. Fine brickwork and elaborate terracotta details give a clue to the people who financed its construction, Brick and Tile Merchants Clarkson & Co.

This Grade II listed building was designed by architect Stockdale Harrison (1846 - 1914) in 1878. His son James Stockdale Harrison (1874 - 1952) studied at the Leicester Art School. Stockdale Harrison was also involved in the design for the De Monfort Hall and the Peck Building at West Bridge.

Conway Buildings is fronted in red brick and dressed with stone and has a roof of Welsh slate. It housed the Leicester Disability Information and Communication Network. In 1880, Mr Robert Peach, an estate agent, had his offices there.

1880

The Fenwicks Building, Market Street, Leicester

Built in 1880 and designed by Isaac Barradale (1845 - 1892) , one of Leicester's most successful architects, an exponent of the Arts and Crafts movement.

Barradale was an important influence on Leicester, particularly in the area of Stoneygate, where he designed many private houses.

He was regarded by Pevsner as arguably the finest architect of the Arts and Crafts movement in the country.

The building now familiar to us as the Fenwicks Department store, stands on the corner of Market Street and Belvoir Street, adjacent to which is another of Barradale's structures, originally built as a hotel.

The building was originally Joseph Johnson and Company Limited, a drapery store. It was taken over by the Fenwick Group in the early 1960s. The Group was founded by John James Fenwick in 1882.

Barradale in Leicester | DMU's study of Barradale | Barradale on the Chronicler site | Ned Newitt's photo of this building |

1881

The Secular Hall, Humberstone Gate

Standing in Humberstone Gate, the Secular Hall opened in 1881 to provide a home for Leicester rationalists in the Secular Society, led by Josiah Gimson.

Many influential thinkers spoke here including William Morris, Charles Bradlaugh, Annie Bessant and George Bernard Shaw.

Now a Grade II listed building, two busts adorn the front of the building on either side of the arched entrance. One is a bust of Voltaire and the other is of Jesus. A interesting juxtaposition.

Altogether five busts are on the frontage of the building, the others being Socrates, Thomas Paine and Robert Owen (see more details.) They were sculpted by Ambrose Louis Vago.

As the Society's website states: 'the home of Leicester Secular Society, the oldest secular society in the world, the Hall rises to national heritage significance: a place where the battle for human rights and equality has been fought, where William Morris, Charles Bradlaugh, Annie Besant, George Bernard Shaw, Bertrand Russell and Tony Benn and many other campaigners have spoken.' It is the only Hall still in use today as a venue for secularism.

In the 1840s and 50s, Secularists were denied access to public buildings and meeting rooms and this led them to build their own Hall.

The building was designed by W. Larner Sugden of Leek in Staffordshire, who was a friend of William Morris.

The building is still used today for a wide variety of meetings and events.

The Leicester Secular Society, founded in 1951 and the first in the world. | More details on the history of the Hall.

1883

The Poor Law Offices, Pocklingtons Walk

Constructed in 1883, The Poor Law Offices, a Grade II listed building, was originally the administrative centre of the Poor Law.

The building later became the Registry Office for Leicester and many couples were married there, until the Registry was moved to the Town Hall.

A memorial stone on the front of the building states that it was laid by Stephen Skillington Esq. (1875 - 1951) Chairman of the Board of Guardians, on the 30th day of November, 1882.

Constructed in an Italinate design, in orange brick with ashlar dressings and slate roofs, the two storey building comprises a main east facade. There is a central slightly projecting bay has double panel doors with fanlight in round headed opening with Ionic pilaster ashlar surround topped with pediment bearing the date 1883.

Above a Venetian window with unusual glazing with an ashlar surround flanked by tall Corinthian pilasters to a moulded entablature. Above again a square cupola with single round headed sash window with flanking scroll piers topped with obelisks, the whole surmounted by an entablature and dome. A very fine example of a rare building type.

Full specification.

The front of the building also bears a Blue Plaque reading: City of Leicester. Fanny Fullagar, 1847 to 1918. Leicester's first woman Poor Law Guardian. Elected to serve Newton Ward from 1889 to 1904.

The Boards of Guardians were created in 1834. Fanny Fullagar was a suffragette who was elected, in 1889, as a Guardian for the All Saints Parish (later to become Newton Ward.) She founded the local branch of the NSPCC and was active in many charities.

1885

The Liberal Club, Bishop Street

The architect for this impressive Grade II building was Edward Burgess.

With its red brick and ashlar frontage, including six bay windows, it served as the Leicester and County Liberal Club.

Nikolaus Pevsner said it was in the "Loire style, but gabled." Burgess also designed the nearby Central Library, further down Bishop Street and Several other Leicester buildings.

See this photo of the original building taken in 1889.

1888

Exchange Building, Rutland Street/Halford Street, City of Leicester

Leicester's very own Flat Iron Building (reference to a similar building in New York City), the conjoined shop fronts that form the ground floor of The Exchange Building were designed by Stockdale & Harrison of Leicester in 1888.

The Exchange Building is a curious three-storey grade II listed, comprising of red brick with blue brick and ashlar dressings. It has thirteen windows that are arranged unsymmetrically, original wooden shop fronts with recessed doorways and comes complete with the addition of two fourth-storey modern penthouses.

The buildings position on the axis of the two streets and its rectangular (from above) appearance, almost compliments the curved shape of the adjacent Curve Theatre and makes it a fascinating addition to the Cultural Quarter.

1888

Victoria Coffee House, Granby Street, City of Leicester

The Victoria Coffee House was built in 1888 and designed by architect Edward Burgess in the style of the French Renaissance.

Now occupied by the authentic Parisian restaurant Bistro de Paris, the building appears as European on the inside as it does on the outside.

A grade II listed five-storey building in ashlar masonry, the building boasts a magnificent facade that would look more at home in the centre of Paris.

The building includes many multi-sized windows with larger square fittings, smaller rectangular inlets and a set of arched bays towards the attic floor. The third, fourth and attic floors are set back beneath a slated conical roof, flanking two octagonal turrets with bell-canted copper and lead roofs.

Temperance as a mass movement originated in the United Kingdom in the 19th century, promoted the reduced consumption of alcohol and anti-alcoholic legislation. The Leicester Coffee and Cocoa House company was founded in July 1877, to provide various houses and rooms where non-alcoholic beverages could be enjoyed. Some of these buildings still survive and include The High Cross on High Street (rather ironically, now a public house), The East Gates on Church Street and of course, the Victoria on Granby Street.

1890

The Hawthorn Building

The Hawthorn Building was constructed, becoming the School of Art and stands now in the centre of the campus of De Monfort University. See our page on the History of Art Education in Leicester.

See our page on the buildings of De Montfort University.

1894

Thomas Cook Building, Gallowtree Gate, City of Leicester

Built in 1894 as a memorial to Thomas Cook, the building was designed by Joseph Goddard and provides a fine example of a Victorian facade. Standing close to the Clock Tower (also designed by Goddard), its lower section is now occupied by the retailer Foot Locker.

The building is a Grade II listed, three-storey structure, with a row of carved archways that are separated by small stone balconies, arched windows and four ionic half-columns. There is a set of four stone friezes depicting Cook's very first trip from Leicester to Loughborough by train in 1841, Leicester to London in 1851, a trip to Sudan in 1884 and a crossing of the Forth Bridge in 1891.

There are four three-light windows to the attic, with four Flemish Gables rising above these beyond the roof space. Thomas Cook founded the travel agency now known as the Thomas Cook Group. He is credited for the introduction of 'circular notes', which would later become known as 'traveler's cheques.'

Although he was born in Melbourne, Derbyshire, he became something of an iconic figure in Leicestershire where he died in in 1892.

1895

Alexandra House, Rutland Street, City of Leicester

Alexandra House is a fantastic example of an architectural masterpiece hidden in the city of Leicester.

Designed by Edward Burgess for Sir Samuel Faire and built between 1895-1898, the building originally served as the Faire Brothers bootlace warehouse and has been described as one of the finest in the country.

A grade II listed building which boasts a wonderful facade adorned with elaborate carvings, the structure is steel-framed with a granite base.

There is an ornate bolstered balcony that runs across the main arched window and stretches along both wings of the third-storey, with two corbelled octagonal turrets which flank a central dome.

The building was damaged slightly by bombing in the 1940s though fortunately survived, becoming the subject of a cleaning project in the 1990s.

Today Alexandra House stands resilient in the heart of Leicester's cultural quarter, offering a high standard of rented accommodation and office units.

The building was occupied by Faire Brothers Ltd, a company that survives to this day from its headquarters in Thurmaston. In 1929 the company was listed as a manufacturer of haberdashery, suspenders, braces, garters and laces. In 1941 the company donated a Spitfire to Air Force.

Faire Brothers was a major textile manufacturer in Leicester, along with Corah and T.W. Kempton

Frosted glass window at Alexandra House, from the period when it housed Faire Brothers.

1898

The General News Room building, corner of Belvoir Street and Granby Street

Designed by Joseph Goddard and now a Grade II listed building, the frontage is covered with ornate terracotta and stonework, combining baroque with classical elements, including statues and friezes representing the Fates and Muses, the work of Mr. Pitts of London.

The original general news rooms of 1838 was designed by William Flint, photographs of which still survive. The building was decorated with Greek style columns and included a library and readings rooms. Leicester's first free library was opened in 1839. The old News Room was demolished in 1839, allowing for the widening of Granby Street and made way for the building that we see today.

Originally, there was a portico, fronting Granby street, with two entrances, one to the News Rooms, and the other to the Library Gallery. The Gallery, which ran round the room, was supported by twelve Corinthian columns, in imitation of Scagliola marble, and contained the Library, which comprised about 6,000 volumes of modern standard authors, deposited in
nine large cases placed in compartments. Access to the collections and rooms was by way of a subscription.

The Grand Hotel of 1898 can be seen in our halls and hotels page.

1900

Pares Bank, Greyfriars Street, City of Leicester

Quite possibly one of Leicester's most interesting pieces of architecture, it is extremely unfortunate that the old Pare's Bank stands in disuse today.

Built between 1900 and 1902, the building was designed by Samuel Perkinz Pick who was one of the principal architects of Everard & Pick of Leicester City.

A Grade II listed building in the Neo-classical style, the old bank is somewhat hidden away on the corner of Grey Friars Street.

The frontage consists of a large arched doorway below a set of six ionic columns that are separated by bay windows. The majority of the windows are accompanied by interesting stone carvings and friezes, with two larger friezes each side of the main entrance.

There are two large circular neo-classical bell towers each side of the roof, with two smaller circular towers to the rear of the building. An extension to the rear that dated from around 1950 also existed, although this was demolished in 2007.

Pares's Leicestershire Banking Co. Ltd. was a private bank established in Leicester in 1800 as Pares, Heygate & Co. by Thomas Pares, Thomas Paget, John Pares and James Heygate.

The bank was converted into a joint stock company in 1836 as Pare's Leicestershire Banking Co. and was acquired by Parr's Bank Ltd. of Warrington and London in 1902.

It was for some time occupied by the Nat West Bank until it's being vacated in 2000.

It is possible that the building could see a new lease of life in the near future, as it is currently up for sale as a restaurant/retail unit.

Leicester's Victorian High Street - part 1

May 3rd 2013

We took a walk down Leicester's High Street. Buildings there are mainly late Victorian with some from the early part of the 20th century.

Photos © Arts in Leicester

We hope to bring you further photos of the High Street in Part 2.

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