The National Lottery’s Heritage Fund has given initial support to plans by the Landmark Trust to develop Calverley Old Hall, writes Anne Akers.
The £150,000 funding will enable the team from the Landmark Trust, which owns the Grade 1 listed building dating back to to the 14th century, to work up a major grant application to develop plans for the site.
The development, which will cost more than £4million, will restore the main social spaces of the house, including the great hall and chapel.
“This means that over the coming months the Landmark project team will be able to develop our plans and designs for the site, working closely with our architect and archaeologist,” says the trust in its latest newsletter.
“We can also begin to hold activities and training sessions on site, to involve the local and wider community as this fascinating project develops.”
This will include activities and training sessions on site, to involve the local and wider community.
Local volunteers have kept an eye on the house and gardens during the lockdown, with the proposed open days replaced with an online Festival of Landmark, including the Renaissance Instrumentarium by Leeds Waits and a podcast Woven Histories, the final episode of which was written by staff and volunteers at Sunny Bank Mills. Woven Now features interviews with Rachel Moaby the curator at Sunny Bank Mills and local weaver Agnis Smallwood.
The Old Hall has a murderous past, as told by WLD’s historian Mark Stevenson. For many years it has been disused and is on the Heritage At Risk register. It was more recently bought by the Landmark Trust, with part of the accommodation offered as holiday homes.