Leeds Kirkgate Market

Another late blip post.

No portraits today but one of the views of Leeds City centre down by Kirkgate Market. Its been in the news recently as there are talks of reducing the size of the Market by 25%. Inside, it looks like most of the stalls are still trading and the fish stalls were busy today.

The market in Leeds first opened in 1822 as an open air market, and between 1850 and 1875 the first covered sections of the market had been constructed after it moved from Briggate. The Central Market hall was surrounded on three sides by shops that were mainly rented to butchers and fishmongers. Inside the hall, stalls sold fruit, vegetables, and dairy produce, with the balcony being used for selling fancy goods. The South Market was used by butchers, various goods shops, open stalls, nine slaughterhouses and eighteen homes. I bet it would have been very smelly and noisy for the people living there.

In the late 19th century, Kirkgate Market was the founding location of Marks & Spencer which opened in Leeds Market as a penny bazaar.

That's today's lunch time history lesson :)

I hope you had a good Tuesday.