Description

LEEDS

SE3033NW GREAT GEORGE STREET
714-1/76/440 (South West side)
05/08/76 No.2
Block to east of Thoresby Building
with attached railings
(Formerly Listed as:
WOODHOUSE LANE
(South West side)
City of Leeds School)

GV II

School, now offices, with walls and railings to rear former
playground. 1889. By Birchall and Kelly with alterations
probably by William Landless. Converted to offices 1994-95 by
Leeds Design Consultancy. Red brick, stone dressings,
wrought-iron railings. Classical style.
3 storeys, attic and basement; 7 bays, the central 3 and the
outer bays break forward, 2 and 3 windows to each bay. Giant
Ionic pilasters to ground and 1st floors supporting
entablature with small windows in frieze and heavy modillion
cornice, full-height windows to storey above, cornice and
parapet with iron grilles in open rectangular panels. Central
porch with paired Ionic columns supporting entablature with
balustrade above, rusticated round arch doorway. Plate-glass
sashes throughout. Similar side and rear elevations. West
elevation now has principal entrance in C20 extension.
INTERIOR: not inspected.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: playground walls and railings: brick
walling with 6 giant square-section stone piers, paired gates
and railings with pointed finials between, along Rossington
Street (N) and Great George Street (S), railings along W
boundary with Thoresby House (qv).
HISTORICAL NOTE: the first school purpose-built for higher
grade pupils by Leeds School Board, it was completed under the
supervision of the recently appointed architect to the Board,
William Landless, who appears to have been responsible for the
modification to the design in order to accommodate more
pupils, a total of 2,500. The pedimented outer and central
bays were replaced by an extra storey and the parapeted flat
roof provided a girls' playground. Opened by the School Board
Chairman, Sir George Cockburn, on 28 June 1889, in 1902 it was
renamed the Leeds Central High School and in 1905 was the
first Municipal Secondary School in Yorkshire. In 1909 it
became a boys' school, the girls being transferred to the
former Pupil Teachers' Centre immediately downhill to the W,

Thoresby House (qv). It was renamed the City of Leeds School
in 1928.
(Williams, D (B Arch thesis, Leeds Polytechnic): Leeds School
Board and its Architecture: 1975-: 35; The Palm- magazine of
the Woodhouse Lane Central High School: Golden Jubilee Number,
Midsummer 1935).

Listing NGR: SE3003133977

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Former Leeds Central High School at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q26547785

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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