£9m redevelopment of listed West Yorkshire country house to begin this summer

A £9m redevelopment of a historic grade I listed country house near Leeds will be advised on its long term future by national property consultancy Carter Jonas.

The property’s hall, part of which was built in the 11th century, is set to be refurbished into four houses and six residential apartments which will be available to let.

Furthermore, as the country house has such a rich history, the lecture hall, dining room and gallery space will still be available for public access, as will the educational use of the property, which was last used as a school in 1954.

There are also plans to erect an energy centre on the site.

The 3,000 acre Ledston Estate, including 34 residential properties and seven tenanted farms, is solely managed by Carter Jonas on behalf of The Wheler Foundation, the charitable trust which owns and is the custodian of the estate.

Carter Jonas is working with Purcell Architects while advising The Wheler Foundation in the development of a strategic plan and scheme for the refurbishment of the hall and parkland.

The project will generate ongoing revenue for the trust and solidify the future viability of the property, which is currently on the English Heritage Buildings at Risk Register.

Earlier this week, planning permission and listed building consent was granted and work will begin in two phases, starting this summer with repairs to the exterior of the building funded by the charitable trust.

In addition, the Wheler Foundation is applying for Heritage Lottery funding for the second phase of construction work.

David Boulton, partner at Carter Jonas, said: “We have been working closely with The Wheler Foundation for more than 10 years to ensure the sympathetic re-use of Ledston Hall can be achieved. The project will bring the hall into the public domain and not only provide a viable long-term income stream for the Foundation but will offer much-needed new homes in the area as well as space for events.”

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