Calverley Old Hall: Medieval home in Leeds now open to the public after Historic England renovation

Historic England has today (Thursday) revealed its Heritage at Risk Register 2024, which gives an annual snapshot of the health of England’s valued historic buildings and places and helps to ensure they can be protected and continue to be enjoyed in the future.

Seven sites in Yorkshire have been added to the ‘at risk’ register while six - including Calverley Old Hall in Leeds - have been rescued and had their futures secured.

The site is a complex Grade I medieval house with a dark past. The former manorial seat of the Calverley family, the house comprises a great hall and chapel dating from c.1490 and private living quarters built around 1300.

It was here in April 1605 that William Calverley murdered two of his young sons, a crime for which he was pressed to death in York. The building was divided into cottages after the Calverley family moved to Esholt Hall in 1700.

Calverley Old Hall was added to the Heritage at Risk Register in 2016 after concerns about its condition were raised by The Landmark Trust, who had owned the site since 1981.

The ‘At Risk’ status helped to attract grant funding including from the Culture Recovery Fund and The National Lottery Heritage Fund, which enabled the Landmark Trust to repair and transform the site. During works, a remarkable chamber of wall paintings were discovered, now dated to c.1560 and painstakingly conserved.

The building has been fully transformed into self-catering holiday accommodation, alongside a community room and one-bedroomed flat. Regular free open days to the public are also held.

Dr Anna Keay OBE, director of the Landmark Trust, said: “We are delighted to see Calverley Old Hall removed from the Heritage at Risk Register after almost a decade. Its inclusion on the Register played an important part in our fundraising campaign, which in turn enabled the Landmark Trust to transform this wonderful medieval building and give it a whole new lease of life.” 

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In total in England, there are 4,891 entries on the Heritage at Risk Register in 2024 – 20 more than in 2023. There are now 524 entries on the Heritage at Risk Register in Yorkshire.

Heritage Minister Sir Chris Bryant said: “The UK has an abundance of heritage sites across the country that attract tourists and provide jobs in local communities. Many of these are in desperate need of support.

“The Heritage at Risk Register plays a vital role in our ongoing mission to protect and preserve our rich heritage across the country. Many beloved sites have been removed from the list this year and I hope that more will be saved thanks to their inclusion this year."