Moorfield House, Headingley
Encyclopedia
Moorfield House is a Victorian
house in Headingley
, Leeds
, England
built between 1855 and 1856 by William Glover Joy. It is now number 11 Alma Road, and is also referred to as Moorfield Court..
style, built of gritstone
and ashlar
with slate
roofs. It has a three-storey octagonal tower with octagonal corner turrets. The east-facing front facade has a central porch with elaborate carvings including crouching dogs and carved human heads, surmounted by a spire. The interior includes an octagonal chapel and panelled rooms.
’s estate. Joy had entered his father’s business ten years earlier to join a business which was the result of research work pioneered by his grandfather into the production of oil from seeds. The growth of the business was related most strongly to the development of the locomotive age and the local railway network. In 1868 Joy became Mayor of Leeds.
At this time, the house was set in about 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) of grounds. In 1877 the Joy family moved to Hull
and Moorfield House was bought by a Samuel Smith, tanner and currier of Meanwood
. In the 1880’s the Joy family re-acquired the house but in 1891 sold it to John Carr Nicholson, dry salter and manufacturing chemist.
In 1936 the property was bought by Miss Elsie Thackrah BSc of the White Hart Hotel, Harrogate
for £1,650. The house became Moorfield House Missionary College and Miss Thackrah the principal. During the war years
the property was taken by the Secretary of State for Air
and was probably used by the airforce
as wartime administration offices. The Automobile Association
obtained the property in 1944 for £4,250. The Association extended the building to the rear and the building was used as regional offices until May 1973.
During 1973 Moorfield House became a Grade II listed building in the Grove Lane/Wood Lane Conservation Area
; the listing describes it as being “in Tudor Gothic Castle Style”.
In 1979 the property was acquired by architects Fletcher Ross & Hickling to provide centralised facilities for three separate offices and, following extensive refurbishment, the building was occupied by the practice in 1980.
In 1988, Brahm Ltd acquired the land to the side of Moorfield House and built a single storey office. Due to expansion, Brahm purchased Moorfield House from Fletcher Ross & Hickling in 1995 and connected the two buildings. Following a rebrand in 2010, both buildings are now occupied by the Brass Agency
.
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
house in Headingley
Headingley
Headingley is a suburb of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. It is approximately two miles out of the city centre, to the north west along the A660 road...
, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
built between 1855 and 1856 by William Glover Joy. It is now number 11 Alma Road, and is also referred to as Moorfield Court..
Architecture
The house is in GothicGothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
style, built of gritstone
Gritstone
Gritstone or Grit is a hard, coarse-grained, siliceous sandstone. This term is especially applied to such sandstones that are quarried for building material. British gritstone was used for millstones to mill flour, to grind wood into pulp for paper and for grindstones to sharpen blades. "Grit" is...
and ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
with slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
roofs. It has a three-storey octagonal tower with octagonal corner turrets. The east-facing front facade has a central porch with elaborate carvings including crouching dogs and carved human heads, surmounted by a spire. The interior includes an octagonal chapel and panelled rooms.
History
The house was built between 1855/56 by William Glover Joy, seed crusher and oil merchant, on land which earlier had belonged to the Earl of CardiganEarl of Cardigan
Earl of Cardigan is a title in the Peerage of England, currently held by the Marquesses of Ailesbury, and used as a courtesy title by the heir apparent to that Marquessate, currently David Brudenell-Bruce, son of the 8th Marquess.-History of the title:...
’s estate. Joy had entered his father’s business ten years earlier to join a business which was the result of research work pioneered by his grandfather into the production of oil from seeds. The growth of the business was related most strongly to the development of the locomotive age and the local railway network. In 1868 Joy became Mayor of Leeds.
At this time, the house was set in about 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) of grounds. In 1877 the Joy family moved to Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
and Moorfield House was bought by a Samuel Smith, tanner and currier of Meanwood
Meanwood
Meanwood is a suburb and former village of north-west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-Origins and History:The name Meanwood goes back to the 12th century, and is of Anglo-Saxon derivation: the Meene wude was the boundary wood of the Manor of Alreton, the woods to the east of Meanwood Beck...
. In the 1880’s the Joy family re-acquired the house but in 1891 sold it to John Carr Nicholson, dry salter and manufacturing chemist.
In 1936 the property was bought by Miss Elsie Thackrah BSc of the White Hart Hotel, Harrogate
Harrogate
Harrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa waters, RHS Harlow Carr gardens, and Betty's Tea Rooms. From the town one can explore the nearby Yorkshire Dales national park. Harrogate originated in the 17th...
for £1,650. The house became Moorfield House Missionary College and Miss Thackrah the principal. During the war years
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the property was taken by the Secretary of State for Air
Secretary of State for Air
The Secretary of State for Air was a cabinet level British position. The person holding this position was in charge of the Air Ministry. It was created on 10 January 1919 to manage the Royal Air Force...
and was probably used by the airforce
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
as wartime administration offices. The Automobile Association
The Automobile Association
The Automobile Association , a British motoring association founded in 1905 was demutualised in 1999 to become a private limited company which currently provides car insurance, driving lessons, breakdown cover, loans and motoring advice, and other services...
obtained the property in 1944 for £4,250. The Association extended the building to the rear and the building was used as regional offices until May 1973.
During 1973 Moorfield House became a Grade II listed building in the Grove Lane/Wood Lane Conservation Area
Conservation area
A conservation areas is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded...
; the listing describes it as being “in Tudor Gothic Castle Style”.
In 1979 the property was acquired by architects Fletcher Ross & Hickling to provide centralised facilities for three separate offices and, following extensive refurbishment, the building was occupied by the practice in 1980.
In 1988, Brahm Ltd acquired the land to the side of Moorfield House and built a single storey office. Due to expansion, Brahm purchased Moorfield House from Fletcher Ross & Hickling in 1995 and connected the two buildings. Following a rebrand in 2010, both buildings are now occupied by the Brass Agency
Brass Agency
Brass Agency is an integrated marketing agency based in Leeds, United Kingdom, which provides marketing and advertising solutions both nationally and globally.- Company History :Brass Agency was known as Brahm Ltd...
.