Description and History of Site:-
Site of the first gasworks in Leeds, set up by the Leeds Gas Light Company in 1818. Taken over by the Leeds Corporation under 'The Leeds Corporation Gas Act 1870', demolished in 1932.
Several aspects of the operation of the gasworks were described by Mr Charles Smith, engineer, in his evidence given to the Rivers Commission in 1866. The figures quoted were for the combined consumption and production of the company's two gasworks (York Street and New Wortley). At that time the gasworks employed 440 retorts producing 310 million cubic feet of gas per annum from about 38,000 tons of coal. From each ton of coal, about 12 cwt of coke was produced, mostly sold on to other users. The gas was purified of ammonia using iron oxide, and the sulphurous components removed using lime. The works consumed nearly 2,000 tons of lime per year. After being used for this purpose, the lime (then known as 'gas lime') was sold to farmers as a fertiliser though at the time it was generally referred to as 'manure'.

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Key Words :- gas lighting

Address :- York Street, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 7PD
Grid Ref :- SE 31056 33650
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.798234 , Long -1.529991
Local Authority :- Leeds Council
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - West Riding
Site Status :- Site demolished or no longer extant
Site Condition :- Site redeveloped to industrial / commercial use
Site Dates :- 1818 - 1932
Record Date :- 27 June 2018

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