By John Baron
‘Positive’ plans for a new stone sculpture in the grounds of historic Calverley Old Hall have been given the green light by Leeds council planners.
The Hall, on Woodhall Road, dates back to the 12th century. It has been everything from a grand manor house for the Calverley family, complete with its own chapel, to a farm and cottages before falling into disrepair, with thieves helping themselves to stone, and landing on English Heritage’s At Risk register.
A successful Landmark Trust bid to the National Lottery secured £1.6million in 2022 to transform the entire building into a space for up to ten people to stay. In addition the funding provided for a community room to be made available to groups in the village.
A fresh planning application from the Landmark Trust was submitted just before Christmas for a stone sculpture in the grounds of the Grade One Listed building.
The application says the shape of the sculpture tapers slightly towards the top, with a rougher edge at the apex to allow water run-off and to avoid it appearing too formal in nature. The stone will have two sides which are carved in a manner which is inspired by the painted chamber, and two sides which are more natural stone faces, with minimal carvings on these two sides.
Approving the application, a council planning officer’s report said the new sculpture “is expected to be a positive addition to the grounds”.
A design statement submitted to Leeds council with the application stated: “The piece is crafted from Hillhouse Edge sandstone sourced from a local quarry in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire.
“It is a reflection of the sandstone used for the building. It will be hand carved using traditional methods by a professional stonework artist, and has been designed using ideas and designs from a series of community workshops, where participants were asked to reflect on how they felt Calverley Old Hall could be best represented.
“There are therefore references to the found archaeological objects in the building, the painted chamber, the restoration project and public engagement workshops which have been held on site, traditional craft skills used in the process and the history of the Hall itself.”
The plans and council report can be viewed in full here.
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No doubt my council tax is paying for this…
Lorraine, I’m all for giving the council a bashing when it’s warranted, but have you actually read this article?
To answer your comment: No, your council tax isn’t being used.
The article clearly states the application was submitted by the landowners, The Landmark Trust. It’s not the council, all planners have done is approve the application, based on national and local planning law.
Jeez, they’ll be getting it in the neck for it raining in Calverley next…