Corn Exchange: How a Leeds landmark transformed into a beacon of creativity

The first corn exchange in Leeds was located at the north end of Briggate and was opened in 1829. By the mid-19th century, it was considered too small, and civic officials decided to commission a larger building. It was designed by Cuthbert Brodrick, a Hull architect best known for Leeds Town Hall, in the Italianate style, built in stone with diamond-shaped rustification and was completed in 1863. The use of the building as a corn exchange declined significantly in the wake of the Great Depression of British Agriculture in the late 19th century. It enjoyed somewhat of a new lease of life in the 1980s when it was restored it and converted it into a retail space. These photos, from the YEP archive, from the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s tell the story of its remarkable transformation. READ MORE: Unseen photos chart of a golden age of Leeds pub culture LOVE LEEDS? LOVE NOSTALGIA? Join Leeds Retro on facebook YEP RETRO NEWSLETTER: Sign up for our free monthly email digest of Leeds nostalgia