Air raid damage found during Town Hall transformation

Damage caused by a devastating Second World War air raid more than 80 years ago has been uncovered during the major redevelopment of historic Leeds Town Hall.

- by Andrew Hutchinson

The true impact of the 1941 blast had been hidden behind repair work carried out in the aftermath of the bombings, before being exposed during recent work on the building's eastern wing.

The extent of the damage coupled with the poor-quality and ageing postwar repairs has meant urgent new modern structural work has been required to make the building safe and preserve its character for future generations.

This essential additional work along with the unanticipated replacement of a number of existing floor structures will mean the reopening of the building is now expected to take place around the end of 2026.

Records show the German Luftwaffe bombarded Leeds city centre through the nights of March 14 and March 15, 1941, in what was dubbed the Quarter Blitz, killing 65 people and severely damaging cherished buildings including the Grade I listed Town Hall.

The dramatic raids proved catastrophic for the town hall's Calverley Street entrance and even caused a huge part of the building's roof to collapse inwards.