Numbers 165a and 166-169 Briggate

House and workshops on Briggate, Leeds, dating from the early 18th century with alterations made during the 19th and 20th centuries. The building is constructed of red brick, part overpainted, with sandstone dressings and a slate roof that is hipped to the right, with a three-flue stack to the rear left.

The front elevation has three storeys with eight first-floor windows. The two centre windows are set within a slightly projecting quoined bay, with quoins also applied to the far left and right. Windows to the left have been restored with small-pane sashes, while those to the right have four-pane sashes and 20th-century frames. All windows have moulded sills and rubbed brick flat arches with keystones. A fine modillion eaves cornice runs across the right and centre portions; the eaves to the left were rebuilt above window head level in the mid-20th century. The ground floor has been altered with 20th-century shop facades, and an entry to the rear Queen's Court is positioned to the right of centre.

The interior was not inspected at the time of listing but was reported to contain, as of 1987, a cellar below the far left room, reached by a stone stair with an ogee stop to a chamfered ceiling beam. The first-floor centre room is lit by two windows and retains mid-18th-century fittings including raised and fielded panels to window surrounds, shutters below the dado rail, an eared architrave between windows with a dentilled cornice. An open-well cantilevered staircase with turned balusters and moulded handrail, probably in its original position, stands between the front range and north range of Queen's Court. The roof structure consists of king posts with straight braces to the ridge and struts between cross beam and principal rafters.

The northern part of the building, from the passageway onwards, was probably built for a cloth merchant on Leeds' main market street. The merchant would have occupied the front left portion, with ground floor, staircase, and panelled room above being the most likely living quarters. The upper floors and rooms to the right of the entrance passage would have served as workrooms, warehousing, and showrooms or shops, extending into the north ranges of Queen's Court. The merchant purchased cloth from the market or cloth halls and employed workmen to complete finishing processes before sale.

Early 19th-century industrial change brought a shift in use. By 1817, part of the building had become a patent hat warehouse and housed a hatter, woolstapler, and insurance agent. Mid to late 19th century records show it was principally occupied by Sidney and Stables, tea, coffee, and spice dealers, later operating as tea dealers and grocery warehouse. Other traders also occupied parts of the premises during this period, including a stationer, ironmonger, linen merchant, silk mercer, and hosier.

An 1847 map shows the ground floor with bow windows flanking an entrance below the third window and a second door to the far left of the street frontage. By 1885, shop windows had been inserted at the far left. The building is similar in character to Numbers 3–5 Briggate. Rear ranges extend to form the north and south ranges of Queen's Court.