Sponsored by
Slideshow: Whitkirk house discovered in 1920s time warp condition
The son of a Leeds midwife who delivered hundreds of babies has left his Whitkirk home to charity to fulfil his mother's legacy.
The house, a detached, three-bedroom property in Kingsway was discovered to be in a 'time warp' condition with original 1920s rose-patterned wallpaper on the walls, old light fittings, lino and original fireplaces.
* Click here to sign up to free news and sport email alerts from Cross Gates Today.
Reclusive pensioner Grosvenor Croft lived in the house all his life and when his mother Emily died, he promised he would leave the proceeds of the property to her favourite charity Sense.
* Click here for latest news in Cross Gates, Colton, Temple Newsam and Whitkirk.
He is believed to have been in his 80s.
* Click here to have your say on stories and issues in Cross Gates, Colton, Temple Newsam and Whitkirk.
Mrs Croft, who moved into the house as a bride in the 1920s, was profoundly affected by seeing babies born deaf and blind following one of the worst outbreaks of Rubella the county had ever seen.
A neighbour of Mr Croft described him as a lifelong bachelor who kept himself to himself.
* Click here to sign our ex-pats map for former Cross Gates, Colton, Whitkirk and Temple Newsam residents.
He worked as a cost clerk at a building company in Temple Newsam.
Liz Stephen, wills and probate specialist at estate agents Emsleys, said: "When we first entered the house it was in a terrible state as it had not been cleaned since 1984.
"An offer on Mr Croft's property has now been accepted for 125,000 and – with some work – will make a lovely family home.
"The current housing market has made it more difficult to sell
inherited properties, but this sale is evidence that if a property is in the right location and is reasonably priced there are still buyers out there."
Mrs Croft worked in the Whitkirk and Colton areas throughout the 1930s, 40s and 50s.
The house remained virtually untouched and still has the original doors, fireplaces, a claw-foot cast iron bath, larder, light fittings and even a carpet beater.
Bob Snow, regional director of Sense North, a charity which campaigns for children and adults with deafblindness, said: "We are so grateful for the thoughtful generosity of the late Mr Croft.
"This wonderful gift will make a real difference to the lives of many deafblind people.
"Sense continues to work with and supports adults whose mothers contracted Rubella during the pregnancies some years ago."
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Leeds
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North east
