Virtual Tour of Leeds Town Hall | Leeds Register Office, Leeds Registry Office

Leeds Town Hall

Leeds Register Office
You need to make an appointment to register a birth or a death (tel 0113 224 3622), and to give a notice of marriage or civil partnership (tel 0113 247 6709). All the information you give is treated in the strictest confidence and you are interviewed in private.

Leeds Register Office (Registry Office) is in Leeds Town Hall, The Headrow, Leeds but you can also register births and deaths at some other one stop centres in Leeds.

The Leeds Town Hall, a grade 1 listed building, provides a magnificent setting for a wedding. Marriage ceremonies are held at the Leeds Town Hall between 9.00 am and 4.00 pm Monday to Friday and up to 3.50 pm on Saturdays. Fridays and Saturdays are a popular choice, so you need to book early get the date and time you want.

There are two spacious and attractive marriage rooms; the Brodrick Marriage Suite, which has seating for 40 and the Albert Room for up to 100 guests. Both rooms have modern fresh flower displays.

The marriage rooms have with CD music facilities and hearing loops for the comfort of your guests. Web cameras are installed in both rooms so family and friends who cannot get to the wedding can watch it on a computer.

There is no parking at the Register Office although there is a dropping-off area at the front of the Town Hall for the bridal car. There is level access from the car park to the lift into both marriage rooms and waiting areas. You can also enter by the sweeping Portland stone steps at the front of the Town Hall leading into the magnificent domed hall.

The nearest car parks are in Portland Crescent and Woodhouse Lane. There are also a number of metered parking areas around the Town Hall in Oxford Place, Great George Street, Portland Street, Calverley Street (opposite the Civic Hall) and Thoresby Place.

Disabled parking is available at the front of the Town Hall with level access provided to the lift.

History of Leeds Town Hall

In 1852 a competition was organised for architects to submit designs for a new town hall building in Leeds. Sir Charles Barry, the architect of the Houses of Parliament was retained as judge.
A young architect from Hull called Cuthbert Brodrick won the £200 prize.

In February 1853 the council decided to proceed with Brodricks design, but without the tower.

Samuel Atak a local builders tender of £41,835 was accepted and construction started July 1853, ln 1856 £5,500 was authorised for the tower but because it was a late addition work continued some time after the official opening, the bell was not hung untill 1860 and was cast by the Cripplegate bellfounder John Warner and son.

The bell is 6ft 2ins in diameter and weighs 4 tons 1 cwt, another late addition were the two pairs of lions on either side of the main entrance, they were sculpted from portland stone by William Day Keyworth of London and sited in 1867.

Queen Victoria opened the Town Hall on 7th of September 1858 the Great Hall shown in Brodricks design was dedicated to her and became known as the Victoria Hall.

The tour was photographed by Tony Quinn and John Munden - August 2002.
Thanks to Leeds City Council for permission.