Step back in time at Wellington Place as the former wagon lifting tower gives you a captivating glimpse into the Leeds of the past.
When Leeds Central Station, the city’s original railway station, closed in 1967, all of it was demolished – apart from a single wagon lifting tower. 57 years on, that same tower has been brought back to life as part of the extensive Wellington Place business development. Owners Federated Hermes MEPC have transformed the derelict hoist into a new, free-to-visit mini museum that will take you back in time to show you what the old station and, more than that, Leeds was like way back when.
© Copyright Leeds-List 2024
© Copyright Leeds-List 2024
© Copyright Leeds-List 2024
© Copyright Leeds-List 2024
The Grade II-listed landmark was once one of two that stood either side of the river and canal viaduct. Their role was to hoist wagons using steam power and large chains from the high-level passenger line to the Great Northern Goods Yard at Leeds Central Station. It has become a symbol of Leeds’ industrial history, particularly as new buildings at Wellington Place have gone up around it, earning a Leeds Civic Trust blue plaque in the process. Now its new life as a museum means it will connect the past to the present.
“We saw opportunity to go much further than just restore, to transform the lifting tower into a space which everyone could enjoy,” Dominique Murray, Associate Marketing Director at Federated Hermes MEPC, told us. “The people of Leeds are quite rightly proud of our railway heritage and the role the city played in the industrial revolution, and over the years kind people have shared all sorts of memories and artefacts. We have also undertaken a lot of research into its history. All of this was sitting in boxes in the office desperate to be shared! It was then, the idea of creating a mini museum came about.”
The restoration works have been extensive and undertaken by a number of organisations including Sheppard Robson, CBRE, Planit, Curtins, Tim Denton, Arup and Simpsons. The tower has gone through a comprehensive £1.5 million programme that has included everything from making the structure watertight and adding a new green roof to repairing and repointing the existing building fabric. There are cosmetic additions too, like new windows, doors and lighting, helping to create a sanctuary for the historic wonders now within.
So what can you see? There are two rooms with two different but connected exhibitions to check out on the ground floor. The first room will tell you all about the role the tower played in the old station, complete with a series of incredible artefacts. You can see all manner of photos, alongside a ticket from the last train to leave the station, replica headboards from famous steam engines and original signs and timetables. They’ve even produced a unique soundscape that will immerse you in the atmospheric sounds from the station back in the day.
© Copyright Leeds-List 2024
© Copyright Leeds-List 2024
© Copyright Leeds-List 2024
© Copyright Leeds-List 2024
Then it’s time to check out the second room and this one is a little different, because it gives you a glimpse into what it was like to work on the railway and in Leeds Central Station itself. Working with local people, including historian Clifford Stead and former station engineer Kenneth Still, they’ve produced films that have captured the memories of those who once used, worked or visited the station. These will play on screens surrounded by information boards that give you a timeline of Leeds Central Station.
And this is just the start. There are plans to host local art and history exhibitions in the museum, alongside events for schools and the local community, including history walks and talks. There’s even more to enjoy if you’re a bit of a railway or history buff because you can also take a short walk from the museum to the recently reopened Monk Bridge Viaduct, now the Yorkshire Highline, that connects the city centre with The Junction development of flats, shops, bars and restaurants, via a walkway that once took trains to the old station.
For the older generation, the mini museum will spark memories of yesteryear, for the younger generation, it will introduce a once-vital landmark many might not have even known about. In fact, surrounded by bars, cafes and restaurants, it’s a day out (or a cracking lunch break) in itself. As Dominique told us, “If you want to be taken on a journey down the train tracks that once existed here in Leeds, we’d encourage you to come visit to enjoy memories and artefacts for free, in a spectacular new space that pays homage to its past.”
The Wagon Lifting Hoist Mini Museum, 1 Wellington Place, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 4AJ. It’s open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, and 10am to 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Free entry.
