Calverley Old Hall is a Grade I listed manor house in the village of Calverley near Leeds. It was built and altered by the Calverley family between the 13th & 17th centuries.  The property was acquired by the Landmark Trust in the 1980s in a state of semi dereliction.  At the time of the sale, it could easily have been sold to three different parties but fortunately, the Landmark Trust was able to purchase the whole site which by this time, had been subdivided and tenanted.  The Landmark Trust refurbished two fire-damaged cottages at the northwest end of the site & let them as a Landmark Trust Holiday destination while other areas were kept ‘wind and weather tight’ until the last of the lifetime tenants vacated their premises in 2007.

The Great Hall & Solar were on Historic England’s ‘Buildings at Risk Register.’ In 2017, faced with urgent repair work, the Landmark Trust held an open competition to find a sustainable future for the property.  Cowper Griffith were one of 75 architectural practices to enter.  Following a rigorous judging procedure involving a shortlist of 9 practices, Cowper Griffith were appointed to develop their competition scheme with the Landmark Trust, reimagining the building in a way that re-establishes the original room volumes and circulation routes thus enabling visitors to experience the property much as the family may once have done.

At the core of the scheme was the desire to let the building speak.  It was essential to make new insertions easily legible and distinct from the historic fabric and to weave in sustainability and accessibility in a way that enhances this new chapter of the building’s history. Analysis of the fabric was a key consideration to enable highly significant features such as the very rare 16th century painted scheme to be conserved and enjoyed.  This could only be achieved by working very closely with the client, other consultants, the builders, Historic England and the local planning authority.

The project benefited from grants from the  National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic England’s Culture Recovery Fund, generous support from other grants, gifts in wills & 2005 individual donations.

Calverley Old Hall is now available as a 10person holiday let, with a separate community room with ancillary accommodation and a short-term tenancy.  The building benefits from a ground source heat pump and photovoltaic panels to generate heat and power from renewable sources.  The completed project is very close to the early competition winning concepts. It was officially opened at the beginning of October 2024 by Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer and local MP for Calverley and now welcomes people of all age groups and levels of mobility.

Project Name – Calverley Old Hall

Location- Calverley, West Yorkshire

Client -The Landmark Trust

Value -£2.7m

Structural Engineer – The Morton Partnership

Archaeologist- FAS Heritage

Quantity Surveyor – BWA (Europe) Ltd

Services Engineer – Bob Costello Associates

Accessibility Consultant- Phil Chambers Consultancy

Wall Paintings Conservators- Opus Conservation

Contractor – Dobson Construction Ltd

Photography (before) – Simon Hogben & John Miller

Photography (after) – Peter Cook