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Burges Salmon guides Royal Armouries through £11.6m waterfront land purchase in Leeds

Picture of Philip Beer
By Philip Beer
22 May 2025 3 min read

We have advised the Royal Armouries, the world’s oldest museum, on its £11.69 million purchase of land where its Leeds museum operates. In a transaction made possible by a government-backed loan via the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, this is the first time the museum has owned the land outright, which includes the waterfront buildings adjacent to the museum.

Situated in Leeds Dock, the museum marks its 30th anniversary next year and has spearheaded the development of the area over the last three decades. The purchase of the land marks the start of the next phase of development, creating opportunities for how the Royal Armouries can leverage its waterfront location to further develop the site and stimulate major economic growth in the city and beyond.

Burges Salmon’s Built Environment sector group advised the Royal Armouries on its land purchase, led by real estate partner Philip Beer and senior associate Kathryn Smith.

“By securing ownership of the land for the first time, the Royal Armouries is poised to embark on an exciting new chapter of evolution and growth. We’re extremely proud to have worked on such a landmark acquisition on behalf of the world’s oldest museum whose work continues to immensely enrich the cultural and economic landscape of Leeds and demonstrate how cultural institutions can underpin regeneration.”

Philip Beer, partner

The Royal Armouries is well known as a cultural landmark and a successful conference and events venue in Leeds, having hosted the UK Real Estate, Investment & Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) since 2022. Speaking at UKREiiF 2025 taking place this week, Nat Edwards, Director General and Master of the Armouries, added: “This £11.69 million loan from UK Treasury for the Royal Armouries to purchase the land outright is an investment in the future. It gives the Royal Armouries full control over the museum site for the first time and puts the organisation in a better position to drive future development for the benefit of Leeds. The Royal Armouries’ track record of successfully hosting events like UKREiiF, which generate £30million for the local economy, shows what cultural venues can achieve with ambition and commercial acumen. We are incredibly grateful for Burges Salmon’s guidance and support throughout the acquisition process, the firm’s expertise has been instrumental in securing this important moment for the Royal Armouries and the city of Leeds.”

Burges Salmon’s multi-disciplinary Built Environment sector group provides strategic and practical legal advice on all forms of UK and international real estate, acting for developers, investors, owners, funders, occupiers and the public sector. The firm’s expertise spans the entire lifecycle of real estate assets, drawing together experts from its real estate, construction, planning, tax, litigation, environmental and finance teams.

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