Leeds Kirkgate Market - History

History

It 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 the market moved from Briggate. The Central Market hall, built alongside Duncan Street, was surrounded on three sides by shops that were mainly rented to butchers and fishmongers. Inside the hall, stalls were erected for the sale of fruit, vegetables, and dairy produce, with the balcony being used for selling fancy goods. The South Market, bordering Hunslet Lane and Meadow Lane, was used by butchers, various goods shops, open stalls, nine slaughterhouses and eighteen homes.

In the late 19th century, Kirkgate Market was the founding location of Marks & Spencer which opened in Leeds Market as a penny bazaar. New buildings were constructed in 1900 which included the Vicar Lane entrances. In 1975 a fire had damaged much of the building except the Vicar Lane frontage and the Market was refurbished in the early 1990s. Following this refurbishment Kirkgate Market was upgraded from a Grade II to a Grade I listed building.

Leeds City Markets are now home to some of Leeds famous small shopping stalls including Eskimo Joe's, Neil's Greengrocers, various Haberdasheries and countless other shops.

With the opening of the Merrion Centre in the 1960s the market had to compete with the newer but smaller Merrion Market (then Merrion Superstore). In recent years the Merrion Markets have declined and the Kirkgate Markets have regained their dominance in Leeds City Centre.

Leeds City Council has been proposing to reduce the size of the Kirkgate Markets to make it more viable and refurbrish in a way that will complement the proposed new shopping centre Eastgate Quarters to be built immediately adjacent to the Market. Proposals to reduce the size have been met with opposition from market traders. Moreover, in March 2010 a new group, Friends of Leeds Kirkgate Market, was launched, among whose aims are to defend the Market and to promote it. In the last years this group has organized a petition, many initiatives and public meeting in support of the Market.