After contact with Sub Brit, their photographer came and took pictures and obtained further information about the arcade, please follow this link.
Jan
http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/sites/k/keithley_royal_arcade/index.shtml
"The Royal Arcade hit the headlines last year, when a "hidden street" was discovered beneath the arcade. Much of the Victorian building work on the cellars of seven shops was found to be still intact."
During the renovation of the Royal Arcade at the bottom of Low Street ~ Keighley, a lower level of shops was discovered. During a fascinating visit with members of the society, these are some of the photographs I took.
Photographs © Jan Perkins
The Royal Arcade was built in 1901, the year Queen Victoria died and Edward VII came to the throne.
Gott and Butterfield ironmongers moved in, and it was popularly known as Butterfield's arcade.
In 1901 the arcade, then part of Low Street, was decorated with flags and bunting for the coronation of Edward VII
The shop once described as an Aladdin's cave selling household goods, bicycles and camping equipment, closed in 1983.
Keighley historian Ian Dewhirst said: "It was a thriving part of Keighley with a real sense of community."
Director Frank Brooke said that, although the arcade is a listed building, some of it was probably not structurally sound.
He added: "It would be criminal for work like this not to be done. The arcade is so close to the retail centre of Keighley.
Telegraph & Argus Friday 27th Jun 2003 ~ arcade reopens
More than 100 people went to see Keighley historian Ian Dewhirst officially open the restored Royal Arcade.
Mr Dewhirst gave a brief history of the arcade's 100 years before he officially opened it. He said: "It would have been so very, very sad for
this building to have been lost. Thank goodness there are still people like those at Kingfisher Properties to ensure the arcade will go on for 100 more years.
He added: "It's very impressive and marvellous to see what they have been able to do with this great example of a Victorian/Edwardian building. It's so precious."
The 101-year-old listed building, in Low Street, was renovated by Kingfisher Developments, of East Parade.
Director Frank Brook said: "It's fantastic. We've been well supported by a lot of people.
Keighley's historic Royal Arcade has been transformed into flats and an Edwardian-style shopping centre.
The Royal Arcade had been closed for 12 years, though people still lived in flats above until more recently.
The arcade, consists of nine shops on the ground floor and 23 flats on upper floors, already has 100 per cent occupancy.
Harry Holmes, 81, was a director of Frank Butterfield Ltd, the company which ran the arcade from 1937 to 1983.
He said: "It's nice to see it looking so good after the bad state it's been in in the past. It's marvellous."
The Dixieland Jazz Band played background music, while people browsed the arcade's shops, including a hair salon, a home furnishing shop and a travel agents.
Bric-a-brac stalls and a charity auction were also organised to raise money for the Martin House Hospice for children.
The Royal Arcade hit the headlines last year, when a "hidden street" was discovered beneath the arcade.
Much of the Victorian building work on the cellars of seven shops was found to be still intact.
A series of guided tours for people to discover the truth behind a hidden street has revealed more of its history.
Bev Socas, who has hosted the programme of introductory talks into the history of the Royal Arcade, Low Street, Keighley, said it has been a great success.
She said: "The tours have gone really well and there has been a lot of interest. With the amount of interest so far I might continue to do the tours more regularly.
"Everybody has been very pleased and the visitors have come up afterwards to shake my hand and thank me for the informative tour."
The owner of High Spirits, which adjoins the arcade, added: "A lot more history has come to light about the area as a result of our tours. But we still want people to come forward with more information.
"One visitor told us that he used to clean the tiles every day with creosote and sawdust as far back as 1945."
More than 40 people, from as far afield as Skipton and Leeds, attended the walks.
They included previous shop owners and a man whose father had scrawled his name on the arcade's wall.
Bev added: "It has been a really good success so far and people are as interested in the older Keighley history downstairs as they are the new shops."
Copyright T & A and Keighley News
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