Beckett's Bank Leeds: The fascinating history behind the Wetherspoon pub on Park Row
Known as ‘the’ Wetherspoons to many visitors, Beckett’s Bank has a story to tell.
The Leeds pub was opened in January 2001 and, as the name suggests, the building was formerly a bank. But the boozer is actually named after another bank controlled by Sir John Beckett, which was located further up Park Row.
Adam Johnson is the pub’s designated premises supervisor, and had dreams of taking on the venue since he started working for JD Wetherspoon.
He said: “When I took over I was quite proud of what we had achieved, first and foremost, then secondly scared to death of how busy it was.
“There’s still parts of the bank in the pub, we’ve still got the old safe in the cellar. It’s a 1900s building and it’s absolutely gorgeous, the ceiling roses and decorative ceilings. We’ve tried to keep that over the years.”
Watch the video above as we go inside Beckett’s Bank and find out more about its history.