Local Listing Workshop at Mabgate

The inner-city area of Mabgate is one of the oldest established parts of Leeds and was central to the city’s industrialisation. At the end of the 18^th century, as mills and factories were appearing across the city centre, Mabgate became somewhat of a hub for manufacturing. By 1850, it was home to mills, the Hope Foundry ironworks and several hundred workers’ houses.

Whilst deterioration of this historic area has occurred, major regeneration works are underway with several further projects planned. East Street Arts are now based in Mabgate and there is a significant proposal for a student accommodation complex to be built on the site of the Hope Foundry (which our planning committee will be discussing next week). Despite regeneration plans very much preparing Mabgate for the future, we are equally keen to preserve and celebrate the area’s past. The Foundry produced lamps, bollards and benches which still stand in Mabgate over 150 years later, and we recently ran a very successful guided walk to highlight the heritage that Mabgate has to offer.

In light of all of this, Leeds Civic Trust has been working with the City Council to develop a ‘local listing’ for Mabgate. This is essentially the same as the national listing scheme – where buildings of historical and cultural significance are protected from alteration and deterioration – but on a more local scale. The local listing will enable Mabgate’s most important assets to be recognised for ‘making the area distinctive and giving it local character’.

In order to conduct this local listing, we need the help of volunteers. To kick the project off, Leeds Civic Trust and East Street Arts are hosting a workshop in Mabgate on Saturday 13^th October. The day will involve a guided walk around Mabgate, to highlight the fantastic heritage features of the area and to get volunteers more comfortable with their surroundings, and this will be followed by training on how to conduct a local listing. We will then survey the area in groups, discussing the heritage sites, and will then return to share what we have found. The workshop is free and a hot lunch will be provided.

Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/local-listings-workshop-mabgate-tickets-50358605946