Agricultural Sciences Building, University Of Leeds, And Attached Railings

The Agricultural Sciences Building at the University of Leeds, completed in 1923 by architect Paul Waterhouse, is a notable example of early 20th-century architecture. The building features a steel frame with red brick walls, stone details, a slate roof, and cast-iron railings, along with ashlar gate piers. It stands two storeys tall, with a basement and attic, and has five bays, where the outer bays project slightly. The arrangement of windows follows a pattern of 3:4:1:4:3.

The central bay includes steps flanked by low walls leading to a double board door, which is framed by a Tuscan surround with an entablature and cornice. Corner pilasters rise to a broken pediment at the eaves level, and a pavilion roof with a circular dormer sits above. The outer bays also feature pilasters and pavilion roofs, with a cornice running along the top and flat-roofed dormers in the attic storey, along with an added glazed range above. The windows are full-height, small-paned, with pivoted opening lights, and raised panels are present between the ground and first floors.

Inside, the entrance lobby and stair hall are decorated with bright green tiles, and the staircase boasts a geometric balustrade and a ramped wooden handrail. The building is complemented by subsidiary features, including railings with an X-motif on the ridge cresting and a front wall that stretches approximately 50 meters. To the left, there are a pair of square-section gate piers, each about 2.5 meters tall, topped with a cornice and shallow pyramid caps.

Historically, in 1913, the Board of Agriculture agreed to match a £10,000 donation from Walter Morrison for the construction of a new Agriculture building. However, a moratorium on Ministry expenditure was placed in 1915, and by the end of World War I, costs had nearly doubled. By 1922, plans for this building were finalized, and the site was relocated from Woodhouse Lane to University Road.