I pass this doorway at the corner of Victoria Road and Caroline Street several times a week and one day - as sometimes happens - the way the light was catching it gave it a whole new beauty. The coloured glass panels positively glowed and I noticed the Victoria Hall's tower reflected in the central window.
The building is now part of the offices of chartered architects Rance Booth and Smith, who have restored and imaginatively reinstated aspects of the original building to provide office space that is both contemporary and historical.
When it was first opened in the late 1850s, the corner shop was a grocer's, before becoming a specialist bakery in the early 1900s. By 1937, trading as H W Ready, it was apparently 'the place to go' for catering for weddings and funerals. By the 1960s, as new, more modern shops opened in Shipley and the mill contracted, demands changed. There were at that time three bakeries in Saltaire in close proximity. No 11 had a change of use and became a furniture shop, then a TV repair shop, later a wool shop and then a seller of artificial flowers. Rance Booth and Smith took over in 1989. It would be interesting, I so often think, if walls could talk. What stories these old buildings would tell.
Is it the light, or the way we happen to see it, or perhaps it's just had a new lick of paint? Whichever it is it really sings and well done to the architects for realising they have a responsibility to preserve the old as well as design the new.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how many times that happens Jenny! I'm happy the light was juuust right to catch your eye this time. Love the blue facade, suits the leadlight windows beautifully. Gosh talk about cats having nine lives, so has this old beauty 💙
ReplyDeleteWonderful capture of the stained glass tiles. Thanks for sharing the history of the place too!
ReplyDeleteArchitects Rance Booth and Smith have done a beautiful job here. Whether they could turn the nearby 1930's built Ashley Warehouse into a similar desirable beauty? It is in a great position.
ReplyDeleteIt is fun to find out the history of these old buildings.
ReplyDeleteIt is wonderful to have the building still standing to have a history.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photo