Thornton's Arcade

About

Thornton’s Arcade originally opened in 1878 and is Leeds’ oldest shopping Arcade. The Grade 2 listed arcade was conceived by local entrepreneur Charles Thornton, (1820-1881), who was the owner of the Old White Swan Inn in Swan Street and the proprietor of the Varieties Music Hall (now the Leeds City Varieties). When the arcade opened the Yorkshire Post described it as ‘light, bright and architecturally elegant, and is moreover, admirably designed from the business point of view’. Today Thornton’s Arcade is the home to many locally and internationally known independent businesses and is considered to be at the heart of Leeds independent shopping scene.