The Middleton Arms, Leeds, Saturday 38th January 2012

[Mutilated_Pixie]

No one seems to know exactly when the Middleton Arms was built, but there's an article in a builders' magazine praising it's grand frontage in September 1925.

There are rumours that there might not have been an architect properly involved - the plans were filed by A & F Moseley who were estate agents. So it is possible that the architecture of the pub was actually down to an estate agent's taste or suggestions from the brewery (Ind Coope Co. Ltd.)

The Middleton Arms was originally designed as a 'reformed pub' to provide tea rooms, a hotel and a dance hall as well as the bar. Seen as more civilised a combined use for the building was more welcoming for those living in the new estates and could help lure others to move to Middleton and join them.

The interior of the pub originally had tea rooms, a smoke room and a billiards lounge downstairs along with the bar. Upstairs there was the dance hall and the manager's quarters and above those there were the hotel rooms. Outside there were various gardens, a terrace, tennis courts and a bowling green.

There is a rumour about Catholic Mass being said in the pub between 1930-1934 and it is possible for this to be true as there was no Catholic church in Middleton until St Phillips was built in 1936-1937 and it's likely that a church group trying to raise funds and build a congregation would want regular services somewhere nearby. As the pub had several function rooms and was easy to find it does makes some sense even if we find the idea of services in a pub a little odd. More recently though The Middleton Arms (known locally as The Miggy Arms) gained a reputation for fights and a dislike of non-locals. It wouldn't have been somewhere you'd think of holding church services.

In 2010 its owner warned he might have to close, but was thrown a lifeline and tried a few new ideas, however it didn't work and as a result the Middleton Arms closed it's doors for good. Unfortunately for The Middleton Arms the worst was yet to come, at about 22:50 on Saturday 3rd December 2011 a suspected arson attack mixed with strong winds left The Middleton Arms beyond saving. The future for this site is for The Middleton Arms to be demolished and replaced with an Aldi supermarket.

Miss Wet T-Shirt 1987




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The 1st floor looks more like a bombsite than ought else

[Mutilated_Pixie]

Good report. Should get a copy of one of the tapes made and see whats on it... maybe the camera even caught the end of the pub on tape?

Thanks. I don't take anything from sites it kinda feels like it goes against the whole reason why I'm there