364 Kirkstall Road
Burley
Leeds
West Yorkshire
LS4 2HQ
0113 226 3154
The Cardigan is an impressive sandstone building, standing out from its brick-built neighbours on Kirkstall Road (photos 1 & 3). Inside it is wonderfully unaltered, still with several rooms and a wealth of original features such as etched glass doors and windows and mosaic tiling (photo 4). It was designed in the 1890s by Thomas Winn, who was also the architect of the Adelphi, another magnificent Leeds pub.
The previous pub on the site was also the Cardigan, named after the Earl of Cardigan, famous for leading the Charge of the Light Brigade. He owned much of the Burley and Kirkstall districts of Leeds although it is unlikely he ever visited the city.
For most of the 20th century the Cardigan was owned by Tetley’s Brewery and they made it one of their Heritage pubs in 1989. After the pub was sold by parent company Allied Domeque to Punch Taverns in 2000, the pub became quite run down. It was rescued by the local Kirkstall Brewery who took it over in 2017 and carefully refurbished it. They also added a number of old brewery mirrors (photos 2 & 5) which although not original to the Cardigan, suit the pub perfectly.
At least five of Kirkstall Brewery’s cask beers are served along with up to three guests. Food includes burgers, flatbread dishes, larger meals like sausage and mash and smaller meals like salmon fishcakes, and is served all day.
If you like Kirkstall Brewery beers, the brewery with its own bar is just a few hundred yards along Kirkstall Road.
