Royal Armoury at Leeds

This is the grand hall, the entrance to the Royal Armouries. The info desk is in the middle there, the wings come off it either side as if we were in a cross shaped cathedral. Aside from the repo horseman in armour up above, the hall is pretty plain. Oh, except for that yellow banner in the back with the royal armouies logo on it. Thats a sheet of gold coloured chain mail.
Click on these pictures please to get a feel for this place....

The Christmas tree in the base of the tower in back. They have decided to decorate with clever arrangements of weapons. In at least five layers...rings really, inside this tower. The staircase goes outside the centre shaft, and as you ascend, you get a lovely view of Leeds, and the canal boats in the marina outside. As if I was looking at boats.....grin! Oh, and the outside of this centre shaft is also decorated in weapons, which you can see through the glass as you walk up to the building. Above is a very nice arrangement of pikes and pole weapons. a couple of small cannons, and a few muskets.


Above is some very nice Belgian style armour. Very distinctive with their short cuirasses, and long tasset-cuisses. They didn't like the really fancy shoulders....this is not for the joust nor is it for the parade...it is good solid work a day armour. The two on either side are contemporary to the middle one, but are from a different armoury, and are no doubt not made for any one particular person.


Brown Bess rifles, pikes, and backplates.

And a lovely crown of poke bayonettes over the circular window. The triangular bayonette is of course, now illegal for use under Geneva Convention, however it was particularly effective for almost 300 years. They kept trying to replace the poke bayonette with a sword or a knife bayonette, but always came back to the tried and true. After all, it is a rare soldier who would prefer to be carried by six instead of being judged by twelve.