Ambler House

LEEDS

SE3033SW BOAR LANE 714-1/78/40 (South side) 22/03/74 Nos.14-18 (Consecutive)

GV II

Includes: Nos.2 AND 3 Ambler House TREVELYAN SQUARE. Shops, offices, storerooms and dining room. 1869-75. Early and mid C20 alterations. Possibly by Thomas Ambler. Ashlar, decorative fishscale grey slate roof. In Italianate style. 4 storeys with attic, 5 bays defining the separate properties and designed as a symmetrical facade: a,b,c,b,a. Fenestration, central bay: tripartite round-headed window to first and 2nd floors with fluted pilasters, deep first-floor sill cornice and triangular pediment to 2nd floor, centre; 3-light shouldered arch window to third floor; balustered sill. Dormer in segmental arch, pavilion roof. Bays 2 and 4: C20 window to first floor, bay 2, was probably identical to that in bay 4 which is tripartite, has fluted pilasters and knob motif to architrave; 2nd floor has plain architraves and fluted sill band surviving to bay 4. Square-headed 3rd-floor windows, vertical banding to architraves and diamond motif to sill band. Central shop entrance with early C20 casing: pilasters with festoons and cartouches under modillioned cornice; boarded C20 shop fronts. A pierced stone parapet is carried across the 3 central bays, the property divisions marked by plinths with ornate ball finials, one surviving. Bays 1 and 5: two plain rectangular windows to each floor, set slightly lower than the central bays; splayed corners, oriel turret rising from 2nd floor has mullion and transom windows and steep tent-shaped spire above. Right return: 4 bays fenestrated as facade, bay 5; the right bay having a plain doorway with overlight and smaller windows. Left return similar. Rear redeveloped and rebuilt 1993. INTERIOR: not inspected. HISTORICAL NOTE: at the sale of land on the newly widened Boar Lane in 1869 the block between White Horse Street and Gascoine Street, (both formerly entrances to yards) was divided into 5 narrow lots having a frontage to the prestigious new road and a deep 'backsides'. The new buildings were carefully designed to take advantage of the site and the details of the central bay, (No.16), are similar to those on Nos 1-11 Boar Lane (qv), suggesting that the same architect was involved. In 1872 only No.16 was occupied, by Joseph Parkin, tailor. By

1875 the block was completed and occupied by: a chemist and druggist together with the offices of the Singer Manufacturing Company and a Mining engineer (No.14); the same chemist, together with the Imperial Tea Company (No.15); as previously (No.16); David Barnard, glass and china merchant (No.17); a wine and spirits merchant (No.17); Horatio Blackburn established a Dining Room (No.18). (Porter T: Directory of Leeds and its Neighbourhood: Leeds: 1873-; White W: Directory of Leeds: Sheffield: 1875-).

Listing NGR: SE3014133367