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Cook’s Temperance Hall & Hotel

Leicester Mercury
  • The ‘Temperance Movement’ was a social movement against the consumption of alcoholic beverages
  • The hotel contained a printing facility and tourism offices when originally built
  • The Cook family ran a soup kitchen from the hotel that distributed food to the poor of Leicester

A Thomas Cook legacy

In 1853 Thomas Cook built an impressive Temperance Hall and adjoining Temperance Hotel on Granby Street. The Temperance Hall was demolished in 1961, but the Hotel frontage (now 121 Granby Street) has survived, the upper two storeys retaining much of their original appearance.

A “new and beautiful edifice”

Conveniently located close to the railway station, the Temperance Hotel not only contained bedrooms but a printing facility, tourism offices and residential quarters for Cook and his family. The hotel, which was run by Cook and his wife, was described in 1854 as a “new and beautiful edifice” with “superior” rooms and, in the spirit of temperance (anti-alcohol), included a coffee room. During the severe winter of 1855-1856, Cook and his family set up a soup kitchen at the hotel and distributed soup by cart to the homes of the poor. Cook later moved his business headquarters out of the hotel as the company grew.

Temperance Hall interior 3
A drawing of the interior of the Temperance Hall in its heyday. Thomas Cook Archives

 “Wholesome entertainment”

Next door to the hotel, Cook built a Temperance Hall as an assembly point for his travellers, keeping them away from pubs whilst they waited for their trains. He provided “wholesome entertainment” in his 1,800 seat concert hall, the largest in Leicester until the opening of De Montfort Hall in 1913. Performances had to be approved by Cook and included public lectures, concerts and magic lantern shows. Charles Dickens gave public readings here. The Hall and Hotel originally stood between two public houses. Cook, a lifelong temperance campaigner, clashed frequently with the landlords.

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Victorian Leicester
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The Hotel can be seen from the street

Gallery

Thomas Cook - Thomas Cook Archives
Thomas Cook
Thomas Cook Archives
Souvenir programme from a Walter Langford Concert, 1912 - David Garratt and www.arthurlloyd.co.uk
Souvenir programme from a Walter Langford Concert, 1912
David Garratt and www.arthurlloyd.co.uk
An etching of the Temperance Hotel and Hall - Thomas Cook Archives
An etching of the Temperance Hotel and Hall
Thomas Cook Archives
An advertisement for Cook’s Temperance Hotel - Thomas Cook Archives
An advertisement for Cook’s Temperance Hotel
Thomas Cook Archives
Temperance Hotel and Hall, late 18th Century - Leicester Mercury
Temperance Hotel and Hall, late 18th Century
Leicester Mercury
A drawing of the interior of the Temperance Hall in its heyday - Thomas Cook Archives
A drawing of the interior of the Temperance Hall in its heyday
Thomas Cook Archives
Granby Street with the Temperance Hall on the left, 1920s -
Granby Street with the Temperance Hall on the left, 1920s
Continue the story of

Thomas Cook's Leicester

Campbell Street and London Road Railway Stations

The Midland Counties Railway Act (1836) led to the building in 1840 of Leicester’s first mainline railway station, Leicester Campbell Street, on land behind London Road.
Belvoir Street Chapel

Affectionately known as the “Pork Pie Chapel”, Belvoir Street Chapel was designed by Joseph Hansom, inventor of the horse–drawn cab.
Leicester Coffee and Cocoa Company Coffee Houses

Thomas Cook, a lifelong supporter of the Temperance Movement, was a founder member of the Leicester Coffee and Cocoa Company Ltd.
Thomas Cook Building

This Grade II listed building in Gallowtree Gate was commissioned by his son, John Mason Cook, and opened in 1894 next to the company’s existing offices. It was both a memorial to Cook himself, who died two years earlier, and a more suitable base for the business.

Roman Leicester

(47- 500) A military fort was erected, attracting traders and a growing civilian community to Leicester (known as Ratae Corieltauvorum to the Romans). The town steadily grew throughout the reign of the Romans.

Medieval Leicester

(500 – 1500) The early years of this period was one of unrest with Saxon, Danes and Norman invaders having their influences over the town. Later, of course, came Richard III and the final battle of the Wars of the Roses was fought on Leicester’s doorstep.

Tudor & Stuart Leicester

(1500 – 1700) The wool trade flourished in Leicester with one local, a former mayor named William Wigston, making his fortune. During the English Civil War a bloody battle was fought as the forces of King Charles I laid siege to the town.

Georgian Leicester

(1700 – 1837) The knitting industry had really stared to take hold and Leicester was fast becoming the main centre of hosiery manufacture in Britain. This new prosperity was reflected throughout the town with broader, paved streets lined with elegant brick buildings and genteel residences.

Victorian Leicester

(1837 – 1901) The industrial revolution had a huge effect on Leicester resulting in the population growing from 40,000 to 212,000 during this period. Many of Leicester's most iconic buildings were erected during this time as wealthy Victorians made their mark on the town.

Edwardian Leicester

(1901 – 1910) Electric trams came to the streets of Leicester and increased literacy among the citizens led to many becoming politicised. The famous 1905 ‘March of the Unemployed to London’ left from Leicester market when 30,000 people came to witness the historic event.

Early 20th Century Leicester

(1910 – 1973) The diverse industrial base meant Leicester was able to cope with the economic challenges of the 1920s and 1930s. New light engineering businesses, such as typewriter and scientific instrument making, complemented the more traditional industries of hosiery and footwear manufacturing.

Modern Leicester

(1973 – present day) Industry was still thriving in the city during the 1970s, with the work opportunities attracting many immigrants from all over the world. While industry has declined in recent years, excellent transport links have made Leicester an attractive centre for many businesses. The City now has much to be proud of including its sporting achievements and the richness of its cultural heritage and diversity.

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  • Early 20th Century Leicester
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