Landmark moment as a city shows signs of civic pride

A plaque to cyclist Beryl Burton is unveiled by her husband Charlie Burton and actress Maxine Peake.

WITH a history that dates back to medieval times, Leeds isn’t short of heritage.

Towering structures of steel and glass may dominate the skyline today, with the city home to a thriving legal sector second only to London as well as some of the biggest names in banking, finance and insurance.

But, until the Industrial Revolution, iron foundries, engineering, printing and the rag trade were the lifeblood of Leeds. Workplaces rang to the harsher sounds of metal on metal rather than the tap of keyboards or the soft ringing of phones.

Indeed, if you know where to look, it’s not that difficult to trace outlines of the city’s past. Many of the old factories and mills still stand, although they may be dwarfed by skyscrapers or bracketed by shops and offices, new roads and flyovers.

But, until relatively recently, many historic buildings were left unmarked, their stories untold except by a few who still remember or at least respect how they shaped the city we know today.

In 1987, the Leeds Civic Trust changed all that. Members decided significant Leeds landmarks deserved proper recognition – and they set about seeking partners who would help cover the costs of new blue plaques which could tell the city’s story, even to the casual passer-by.

“It’s probably fair to say we were a little behind the game at the time,” says project co-ordinator John Crossen. “Blue plaques were certainly already going up in other cities, particularly in London or in nationally important locations recognised by English Heritage.

“Here, however, all plaques are sponsored by local businesses and organisations and we have to say we have been overwhelmed by the  support and enthusiasm from both the Leeds community and the local authority.”

When the initiative was first mooted, a notional total of 30 plaques was set at sites around Leeds. Twenty seven years later the trust is poised to put up the 150th plaque at the former Alf Cooke Crown Point Printing Works on Hunslet Road – now part of Leeds City College.

Chromolithographic printer Alfred Cooke opened his first works in 1872, only for it to burn down just eight years later. The company battled on among temporary repairs as best it could  until – after another fire broke out in 1894 – the printworks was completely rebuilt, becoming the biggest in the world.

Sadly, a changing world led to the building’s eventual closure in 2006 but, more recently, Leeds City College has invested £15m in a rejuvenation of the old works, which will be home to the college’s catering, food manufacturing and hair and beauty therapy departments along with a refectory and administration space.

A plaque, which gives a brief history of the building, will be unveiled on June 25.

Even though that will mean there will be five times the number of plaques than was first suggested, Mr Crossen emphasises there are strict criteria which govern where they go up and who or what they commemorate.

“The most important thing is that they mark something which has stood the test of time,” he says. “They are not meant for anything current or modern or something which isn’t actually all that remarkable.

“Perhaps a good example is a building which was brought to our attention recently as an HQ for the Home Guard during the Second  World War.

“At first sight, it may seem worth highlighting, but we have to remember there were quite a few Home Guard bases around the city so this one would have had to be extraordinary in some way to deserve its own plaque.

“It’s all about the story. It needs to say something about considerable age.”