Leeds Corn Exchange, Leeds

The Leeds Corn Exchange is one of the city's most distinctive Victorian buildings. Completed in 1864, it was designed by Cuthbert Brodrick, an architect from Hull who also created Leeds Town Hall and several other notable buildings in the city. For the Corn Exchange, he drew inspiration from the Bourse de Commerce in Paris, designed by François-Joseph Bélanger.

Originally, the building was a busy trading centre where merchants gathered to buy and sell grain. As the grain trade declined, the Corn Exchange gradually lost its original purpose. In the 1980s, it was acquired by Specialty Shops PLC, restored, and transformed into a shopping venue. Today, it houses around 30 independent shops and food outlets, offering everything from clothing and accessories to specialty foods.

Before heading inside, take a moment to admire the building's unusual oval shape and grand exterior. Built from local millstone grit, it features two levels of arched windows topped by a large, grey slate dome. Notice the decorative bands running across the dome, the ornamental stonework just below the roofline, and the clock above the parapet. Three arched entrance porches, supported by simple Tuscan columns, complete the design.

Inside, the architecture is just as impressive. The vast, open central space is surrounded by two levels of shops, connected by sweeping staircases and balconies. Above it all, the magnificent domed roof allows natural light to flood the interior. Indeed, this is a remarkable example of Victorian commercial architecture, where the original trading hall has found a new life as a place for independent businesses.