On emerging from the shadows, and looking carefully to our left, it’s noticeable that the windows on the building on the south bank don’t match. Dennis tells the story better than me, but the gist is that when the renovation works to the building were taking place, the occupier wanted to complete the job at the lowest possible cost. When his installer met resistance to his very best price, he cast around for a solution and, seeing a stack of odd windows in his supplier’s yard, he enquired and was told that they were all surplus items from previous jobs; if he wanted to buy them, a “reasonable” price could be agreed; his parsimonious customer was delighted resulting in the mis-matched windows we now see.
To our right we see the construction of houses on Solar Avenue; these properties are designed and built to be carbon neutral and there’s no doubting the attraction until it comes to the price; starting around £330,000 (for a non-river view) they are not a cheap option.
Artist’s Impression of Solar Avenue with the Gagarin footbridge in the foreground
To our left, we see student accommodation which occupies the site of old dye works; the area once resounded to the cheers of Leeds Parish Church supporters as, between 1890 and 1904 (or thereabouts) there was a sports stadium, complete with stands and terracing where the cricket and rugby teams of the parish ran out; following a marked increase of ungodly behaviour both on and off the pitch, the church decided to call time and sold the land.
Looking over our right shoulders, we can pick out the silhouette of St. Hilda’s Church; its relatively plain exterior belies the beauty within; built to the designs of JT Micklewhite around 1881, it served as a daughter church to St. Saviour’s, the gothic splendour of which is visible at the head of Cavalier Hill.
St Hilda’s
St Saviour’s
Cavalier Hill I hear you say? Perhaps not… However it does take its name from the English Civil War (1642-46) when it was used as a camp prior to the battle of Leeds on 23rd January 1643 when the roundhead general Sir Thomas Fairfax prevailed over his royalist opponent, Sir William Saville.
Before moving on from the churches built to serve the residents of the notorious “Bank” and Richmond Hill, it would be remiss to not mention the sad remains of the Roman Catholic Mount St. Mary’s Church which dates from 1851.
Mount St. Mary’s
Check back in the next few days as John’s cruise continues to Leeds Lock…