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Leeds Zoological and Botanical Gardens

1840 establishments in England1858 disestablishments in EnglandBurley, LeedsCommons category link is locally definedFormer zoos
HeadingleyHistory of LeedsZoos disestablished in 1858Zoos established in 1840Zoos in England
Design for the Leeds Zoological and Botanical Gardens
Design for the Leeds Zoological and Botanical Gardens

Leeds Zoological and Botanical Gardens, also known as Headingley Zoo and later Leeds Royal Gardens, was open between 1840 and 1858 in Headingley, Leeds, West Yorkshire, approximately two miles out of the city centre and covering the area now occupied by Cardigan Road. It was established following an idea by Dr Disney Thorpe, designed by William Billinton, a Wakefield architect, and built by public subscription during the 1830s. The zoo was never particularly successful; only part of the envisioned landscape plan was built and it remained in debt for the whole of its existence. The Gardens closed for the first time in December 1848 but were auctioned and then operated for a further ten years before final closure. The site was redeveloped for the construction of Cardigan Road and large villas. There are very few traces of the zoo and gardens now, but remaining artefacts include the Bear Pit, much of the original stone perimeter wall along Chapel Lane, which are both Grade II listed, and many mature trees in what are now private gardens.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Leeds Zoological and Botanical Gardens (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Leeds Zoological and Botanical Gardens
Regency Court, Leeds Headingley

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N 53.815277777778 ° E -1.5755555555556 °
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Regency Court

Regency Court
LS6 1BT Leeds, Headingley
England, United Kingdom
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Design for the Leeds Zoological and Botanical Gardens
Design for the Leeds Zoological and Botanical Gardens
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The Golden Beam
The Golden Beam

The Golden Beam is a pub and Grade II listed building located in the Headingley area of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was built in c. 1912 for the Church of Christ, Scientist, and was known as the Elinor Lupton Centre from 1986 to 2010 when it was a school arts centre. It was designed by Piet de Jong and William Peel Schofield from the architectural firm Schofield and Berry. Constructed in white Portland stone in a mixed style of Egyptian Revival and Art Deco, it was originally built as a Sunday school in c. 1912–1914, extended in the 1930s with a church building and then used by the Leeds Girls' High School as a theatre and music centre from 1986 until 2010. The structure has architectural significance in the locality due to its distinct style and use of materials; many original features and fittings survive, including the entrance foyer, two staircases and a glazed lantern in the auditorium roof. The building was unoccupied between 2010 and 2021, with windows and doors boarded up and elevations disfigured by graffiti. The building was included in the 2018 Heritage at Risk Register by Leeds Civic Trust, where it was given 'vulnerable' status. The current owner, JD Wetherspoon, put forward proposals for conversion into a pub and hotel which were locally controversial, with the project facing a planning enquiry and licensing difficulties. Planning permission and an alcohol licence were granted by the City Council in 2020, and the building was converted into a large pub, named The Golden Beam after a painting by Atkinson Grimshaw, which opened June 2021.