Up until 2000, 71 Vicar Lane was home to an iconic Leeds pub that hosted such bands as Nirvana, Oasis, Blur and the Manic Street Preachers.
Known as The Duchess of York, it was famous not just in Leeds but across the north - serving as an integral piece of the city's music scene for many years.
After its closure in 2000, it was replaced by fashion giant Hugo Boss which still has a store on the site to this day.
For those who miss the good old days at the Duchess, though, we've got some good news. The pub has now been partially recreated in Leeds’ Kirkgate Market for the Compass Festival, as part of a project called "Public House: The Yorkshire Square."
The Duchess of York has been re-created inside Kirkgate Market as part of Compass Festival / Image: Compass Festival
At just 12ft x 12ft, it's not that big - but then it's true that all good things come in small packages.
Described on Compass Festival's website as "Bringing a ferment of connections, conversations and experiences to the heart of Leeds iconic Kirkgate market", it will be in situ here up until 24 July.
Although it's an interactive art project, you can still grab a pint here at the recreated Duchess and relive a taste of the good old days and reminisce on a time before the iconic pub was replaced with a clothes shop.
The Duchess is only at the market until 24 July, so don't miss out / image: Compass Festival
Designed by Katie Etheridge and Simon Persighettie, the remade pop-up pub features a mock-up of the sign, gig flyers, photos from gigs in a massive hit of nostalgia.
The duo behind the project hopes that local visitors will “come together, share memories of gigs they went to and discuss why pubs and pub venues are so important, and what we can do to stop them being lost” here.
Further big names to grace The Duchess's stage over the years include Radiohead, Coldplay and Green Day - but it's biggest claim to fame has to be welcoming in Nirvana as a support band back in the late 80s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cMEZtJ-9Mw&t=4s
It's said that the little-known band from Aberdeen, Washington came to support Tad - and that Kurt Cobain went and slept on the sofa upstairs afterward.
At the time, the band was in town to promote their album Bleach; but they also played some songs that would feature in their second album Nevermind, such as About a Girl, Love Buzz, Floyd the Barber and Polly.
For anyone who was there, it was surely a truly iconic gig to witness. We have to say, we're rather jealous.
You can get some of Yorkshire's finest ales on tap here alongside old school favourites like Tetley's / Image: Compass Festival
Modeled on the dimensions of the unique fermenting vessel made famous by Tetley’s Brewery, the recreated Duchess of York has plenty of cold beer as well as what they're calling the 'Time Bar.'
Here, you can watch and listen to specially recorded interviews on pub's past, present and future and add your own using the interactive Pub Quiz machine.
There is no need to book, you can just turn up. Find it inside Kirkgate Market until 24 July.
Opening times at The Duchess:
Friday 16 July: 11am – 10pm
Saturday 17 July: 11am – 5pm
Monday 19 July: 11am – 5pm
Tuesday 20 July: 11am – 5pm
Wednesday 21 July: 11am – 5pm
Thursday 22 July: 11am – 5pm
Friday 23 July: 11am – 10pm
Saturday 24 July: 11am – 5pm
Feature image - Leeds Civic Trust / Youtube.
Leeds
Kirkstall Brewery and Little Bao Boy unveil new Leeds taproom
You know the venue, and you know the operators behind it, but things are looking a little different over on Sovereign Street.
Leeds' very own Kirkstall Brewery has teamed up with street food legends Little Bao Boy to totally reinvent the city centre taproom formerly known as North Taproom.
At the all-new The City Taproom, you'll find a way cosier space alongside their sun-soaked terrace, as they aim to reimagine a traditional city centre pub.
Across 16 tap lines there are loads of Kirkstall Brewery classics, like Kirkstall Pilsner, Virtuous and Judicious, plus a rotating selection of guest beers from top British breweries - and Guinness, of course.
The City Taproom will also feature two new cask lines: one serving Three Swords as a staple, and the other on rotation starting this month with Golden Hour.
There's a bigger kitchen for Little Bao Boy too, which means an even larger menu of bao and Asian street food, like loaded fries, noodles, and rice bowls.
Little Bao Boy was founded 10 years ago by James Ooi, specialising in home-made bao buns and traditional Asian street food with a contemporary western twist.
Kirkstall have injected the huge space with the traditional essence of a proper Kirkstall establishment, with that kind of cosy atmosphere you know them for at the brewery's other sites.
Little Bao Boy at City TaproomKirkstall Brewery pints and cocktails
This is yet another of the local brewery's openings in the city centre, joining their recent renovation of The Victoria & Commercial in partnership with Whitelocks, plus their stewardship of the historic Tetley brewery building.
James Ooi, founder of Little Bao Boy said: "We have been part of this venue since day one, through COVID, outside seating, and new owners, and we are so excited for this refurb.
"On the food side, expect more collaborations, faster service, and a better overall customer experience. We are extremely grateful Kirkstall saw the value in this refurb and can't wait to get back open."
Steve Holt, founder of Kirkstall Brewery, said: "We're delighted to unveil a new presentation for the Taproom on Sovereign Street.
"It has been named The City Taproom after a famous but long-gone Leeds pub known as ‘The City’, which was situated where the statue of the Dortmund Brewer now stands. Images of the original City pub are a feature in the new look City Taproom, which can best be described as a 're-imagination' of a traditional city-centre pub.
"The City Taproom celebrates Leeds and its rich pub and brewing heritage. We hope that it will become a popular addition to the amazing and diverse venues that make Leeds such a vibrant City for hospitality and entertainment."
It's all the bits you loved before, just a little bigger and a whole lot better.
The City Taproom opens at 3 Sovereign Street on Thursday 23 April.
The route for next year’s historic women’s Tour de France has been announced – and it all starts in Leeds
Danny Jones
The route for next year's women's historic Tour de France has been announced, with some of the best riders in the world set to begin the race from right here in Leeds.
Announced back in January, the 2027 Tour de France Femme avec Zwift will be making its British debut next year.
And this week, the full route has been revealed, which will all begin here in the race's host city of Leeds.
From here, riders will zip across through Yorkshire to Manchester, before turning back and heading down through the Peak District to Sheffield.
Around 230,000 people packed into the city centre to cheer the riders on their way during the Tour de France’s Grand Départ in 2014, with another two million spectators lining the rest of the race’s Yorkshire route. It's hoped that similar scenes will happen again this year.
It's yet another big coup for the region and Yorkshire's sporting scene.
Speaking with Manchester City Council earlier this week, Dame Sarah Storey joined many in celebrating another huge moment for us; the female Tour de France is not just back up and running, but aiming to become bigger than ever.
🚴♀️ The world’s best cyclists are heading to Manchester! 🚴♀️
The routes for the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2027 have now been revealed, with Manchester set to host the Stage One finish on Friday 30 July and the Stage Two start on Saturday 31 July. pic.twitter.com/OMMlhdorqP
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) April 21, 2026
The Stockport-born swimmer turned Team GB cyclist and multi-Olympic gold medallist knows all about what makes this particular sport special, having swapped a previous and highly successful career for an entirely different discipline.
As has now been fully confirmed, the 2027 Grand Départ will be getting underway in Leeds, before heading through Yorkshire and on to our friends in Greater Manchester.
Spread across two incredible days, the race itself will finish in Sheffield, with another UK first happening down in London, as the capital will also host the inaugural team time trial held in this country.
You can see the official event's breakdown of what locations feature in which stages of 'The Big Loop' in more detail below.
Councillor James Lewis, leader of Leeds City Council, said: "We might be more than a year away from welcoming the Grand Départ of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift to Leeds, but there is already a good deal of excitement building around the event.
"Today’s route announcement will hopefully whet people’s appetites still further and get them thinking about where in the city they will be watching the race.
"We recognise that some residents and businesses will now have questions about how an occasion of this size could impact local communities on the day.
"They can be assured that we will be working hard alongside the race organisers to minimise any disruption and will also make every effort to keep people fully informed as plans for the event continue to take shape."
Georgina Pellant -
16th July 2021 
